What makes a brewery great?

I would...if that one dish was outstanding and something that I liked. I wouldnt go there exclusively, as I would not only drink one beer from one brewery all the time. But I'd still say there was something to be said for doing one thing and doing it in an outstanding fashion.

 

Okay.

 

The big 3 lagunitas sierra and founders with six point catching up can't forget ballast point

 

I totally agree with this comment. For me Victory has to be mentioned as one of the great brewery's(top 10)Amount of styles,price point,A few really outstanding products(prima pils,Dirtwolf,Hop Ranch),a whole bunch of really good and different styles,and distribution at least here on the east coast.

 

The greatest-Weihenstephaner

 

So a 3 trick pony is a far from a "great bewery"??

->http://www.westvleteren12.com/

 

Hell yes I would, and I can't wait to go back.

http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/

I suppose it's technically more than one dish, but there is only one selection, although it is different every day of the week.

Similarly, I am always looking forward to my next beers from the Alchemist.

 

I think the really great breweries are those that make well priced, consistently great year rounds, but aren't afraid to branch out and try new things, like stone and dogfish.

 

So I don't know if I agree that brewing one phenomenal beer does not constitute a great brewery. I would rather be an each wide and a mile deep versus the opposite. I understand your thinking but if you have such a great beer AND can sustain and even grow your business, then why change??? It is a fantastic business model, KISS (keep it simple stupid) and makes for the best success. Although I love trying various brews from one brewery where I enjoy a specific beer as well.

 

I'm a big fan of their sours and saisons as well as their BA stuff, and I wouldn't call them a great brewery on the strength of their BA stuff alone. For what it's worth, many of their sours and saisons are rated 4.0/5 or better on here, so I'd say your opinion is in the minority. That said, your opinion is just as valid since taste is so subjective. I love the Bruery, I respect what they do, and the only real problem I have with them are their prices. I'm willing to look past that, however, due to how great I find their beers.

 

SteveB24, you are right in the standards you set for a great brewery. I would put Sierra Nevada up there because they meet the standards in your analysis. I think there are better breweries than Sierra Nevada but what's the point of brewing a great beer if it's so difficult to find that you can't enjoy one. I think Russian River is a great brewery because of Pliny but it's hard to find and there is usually a one to two bottle limit. They are low on my list because their beers are not as accessible as other breweries. For me Anderson Valley brews some great beers but they are expensive (a six-pack is usually $10.49-10.99, not in my budget).

 

For me I would say that ( this may sound a bit cheesy) having pride in striving for great beers is what makes a brewery great. Case in point Saint Somewhere, I have never had a bad offering from them, even though they almost exclusively brew farmhouse ales they do it damn well. Having a decent price point is a definite bonus. While a large distribution means little, though the hope is that they will expand once more people realize the quality of the brew.

Also there has been mention of MillerCoors and AB-InBev. I would say that in a different way they are great. Without Shock Top I never would have found Cigar City's FL Cracker then Maduro, then Bells Best Brown, Founders Porter, Founders Breakfast Stout, and finally Bourbon County (it's a viscous cycle (pun intended)). So thank you AB-InBev for showing that there are other beers styles, even if you fucked them all up.

 

Quality, consistency, value.

Whether you can get it or not doesn't matter, small local breweries are great.

 

within the confines of a free market system the greatest threat to stability is constant entry of new providers into the marketplace. these new suppliers often try to compete based on price and hold prices down in order to introduce and move their product. this constant entry of new suppliers fueled by what seems to be an endless supply of beer venture capital (hoping to make a buck eventually in a new market but willing to absorb losses for the first few years) keep margins razor thin. a great many of these new breweries, it has been my experience, make lousy beer, all the while diluting profit margins for the truly great breweries out there. if there is anything keeping wages low for breweries' workers it is this.

there are so many new breweries flooding the market with crap that this site becomes an essential tool for finding new beer while not wasting a crap ton of money.

sometime on the other side of all this insanity when the beer bubble has burst there will be a fleet of successful stable high quality breweries who do the things I described above. there will also be a subgroup of mediocre local breweries who have a local following and that is all. right now it seems the only qualifications required for starting a brewery are two things: 1) liking beer 2) having friends with money.

 

To me a great brewery is one that makes OUTSTANDNG beers across a spectrum of beer styles. In other words, Hill Farmstead.

Cheers!

 

I think it's that they have more to offer. To their costumer, to their suppliers; to their staff, and perhaps even more importantly, the communities they operate in, and from than just great beer.

 

I just want to say that I don't think how large a brewery's distribution footprint is has anything to do with being a great brewery. Making great beer makes a great brewery. Making a lot of beer makes you a large brewery.

I love the fact that Victory distributes down here and I can get Dirtwolf all the time, but that doesn't make them better than a small brewery who only distributes within their state. That said, Victory is still a great brewery. They brew many different styles of beer and have good year round and seasonal beers.