Trends and Gimmicks

Here are some gimmicks in the beer world:

Cold activated cans
Vortex bottles
Cans shaped like bow-ties
Vented wide-mouths
Talking animals, objectified women and stereotyped men in commercials
Going overboard with rice and corn in the beer

 

+ Coors Light 'Cooler Box'

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=101929&p=irol-newsArticle_pf&ID=761252&highlight=

Best part of that article: "We're thrilled to be recognized by Convenience Store News for our innovative Plastic Bottle Cooler Box," said Jim Sabia, vice president of marketing for Coors Brewing Company. "This award demonstrates Coors' commitment, not only to innovation, but to delivering cold refreshment to consumers."

LOL

 

Good post OP. Barrel aging is a huge gimmick. So is the double or triple or quadruple IPA. It's like piling a pound of cheese on a normal hamburger and then charging extra because your cheeseburger is the most extreme even though it's basically inedible because it's so out of balance with too much cheese. NEWSFLASH: adding more of a good thing to excess is not making something better. There is such a thing as too much.

 

I happen to LOVE double and triple IPA's over just an IPA. I prefer them as I enjoy the flavor. I suppose not for everybody, but there are quite a few successful doubles and triples out there no? Hopefully more to come.
Maybe you can start ordering your burgers without cheese?

 

i find one in ten barrel aged offerings to be good. i don't think that barrel aging is a gimmick it just doesn't work most of the time.
Kane brewing dbl ipa aged in whiskey barrels is awefull
NEBCO zapata bot, gandhi bot aged in tequila barrels was terrible.

 

So who decides that too much thing? Is 1/4 lb. too much meat for a hamburger? How about 1/3 lb.? Is thick snow tread on SUV tires too much rubber, and just gimmicky? Is 9% ABV too much alcohol for a beer, and just a gimmick?

One man's inedibly overcheesed cheeseburger might be ten thousand folks just perfect and tasty.

I don't have the answers, but let's not pretend anything is cut and dry on this issue of gimmickry, such as your judgement on Barrel aging, except things that are pure fluff that have no useful purpose, such as the blue mountains on a Coors can.

 

yes and I was just saying its not a new process oak aged beer. yes its new to Americans because since 1976 most of this old beer is New...

 

Way ahead of you on the plain jane hamburgers.

NEWSFLASH: some people love gimmicks. Double, triple, and quadruple IPAs are a gimmick even if people like them. OMFG. duh

 

well they used them allot in Europe for years.

 

so any new style that emerges is a gimmick? double IPAs are pretty much a standard now. they might have seemed extreme 10 years ago. i think once a style has settled in and seems pretty much here to stay, you can't really call it a gimmick any more

 

I've seen chalkboards in bars for over 25 years, and not only in big cities. But either way, I'm not sure what would be a viable alternative? And for a bar with over a dozen taps, and often tapping sixtels and quarter barrels, how else would they display what is currently on tap?

 

Yes, the classics can hold their own, and you don't have to enjoy the varations on those, but I don't think that a new technique that became popular because the flavors imparted by said technique are enjoyed by many is gimmicky simply because it's popularity is causing it to become ubiquitous, it's just a new (or, ok, 'less orthodox') technique.

To summarize with an analogy - if you prefer old Bob Dylan to new Bob Dylan, I can respect that, but don't call the electric guitar a gimmick.

 

A number of years ago, I was attempting to sell an upgrade of beer selections to a buyer for a major regional upscale food chain. I presented Aventinus, Schneider-Weisse, Cantillon choices, La Chouffe, and a host of other options. My idea was to expand the single selection and to deepen the US craft choices. After looking at, tasting and "assessing" the choices that I had made, he retorted, "How am I going to sell these "froo-froo" beers? They are just too expensive! What's wrong with regular American beer?" He was sure that I was gimmicking around with such simple decisions as which beers to offer the public. Boy how do things change! We probably should never fuss about the very positive craziness in the current beer scene.

 

I think you're starting to overuse the "NEWSFLASH" expression...

Yes some people love "gimmicks," but I'm failing to understand how a double IPA is a gimmick. I guess every beer that isn't solely water, malt, hops, and yeast - and only in certain pre-approved quantities (wouldn't wanna get gimmicky now) is a gimmick?

 

old football players saying tastes great, less filling. with the required semi naked women of course.

bud lime beer , etc

 

I consider a gimmick, something that the seller knows going in is an attempt to increase sales or visibility (or combination) without necessarily any attempt to make the product that is found satisfactory or above by consumers.

Pink painted bottles, moon dust, 40% ABV world record beer chasing...those are clear gimmicks to make a buck or market themselves. One could say even that the Heady Topper can label directions to "drink straight from the can" is a sort of gimmick with attempt to avoid us Beer Advocates from seeing the hazy/cloudy appearance (which is not your standard for most of the double IPAs made) and thus it avoids lower ratings on Beer Advocate and Rate beer vs. giving perfect scores (hide the appearance as a marketing ploy/gimmick) and better enables them to market themselves and claim notariety as "#1 beer in the world". Just saying, its a pretty smart marketing gimmick IMO.

 

Best Beer Ever? Its good, but there are much better beers.. and much better Bourbon Barrel Aged beers

 

Woaahh, glad you were able to control yourself, thanks for the understated response:
bold added
"In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use."

Barrel aging does not fit this definition. Nor does more cheese (cheese is an ingredient people love and its use is for taste enjoyment), nor does adding as much hops as historically and contemporarily folks enjoy to drink.

Relax. Don't worry. Have a beer (guessing you don't homebrew )

 

I can agree with that. I suppose with that example, I can think of a few more gimmicks out their to roll off..........

- The beer that has a Buddha shaped bottles (lucky beer)
- The taxadermy squirrel bottle for end of the world (brew dog)
- The beer that was made with antarctic ice (Antarctic Nail Ale)

but then again, most of those beers where not terrible. Almost every marketing play that the macros breweries use is gymicky as all hell, quite more so than even moon beer. The coolest beer on earth? The sure sign of a good time? The beer of being "regular"? I might roll my eyes at moondust in beer, but I scoff even more so at such marketing gimmicks..........

 

My thought is saying a beer is smooth and easy drinking is a gimmick.

Realistically, unless you're drinking a massive imperial stout, sticky IPA/DIPA or another hefty brew, most beers are pretty smooth and easy to drink.

The beers/breweries using those two tags generally make chuggable and inoffensive beers with no overpowering flavors to make you ponder their nuances enough to have to nurse the entire beer.

I laugh at the people in the Sam Adams Boston Lager commercials (paid actors or candid responders). "I like it, it's really smooth." ::face palm::