Why Pale Ales?

No, we don't need any more bland hoppy beers. More good ones are always welcome, though.

 

I suspect it's partly because of sites like this where almost all the chat and chatter are focused on some variant of the IPA. Becomes easy to think that's needed to compete. But locally we do see successful breweries introducing new beers on a semi-regular basis. One that comes easily to mind is Victory.

 

Because different people have different tastes, and different situations can call for difference responses to those tastes.

 

The masses can relate to IPA, and the ones who think it's too tasty will think, yeah, I can go for that session IPA, or the ones who have mastered it will think I'm macho enough to go for the double, or the black, or the brown, pink, green...

 

Yep, only stands to reason that most breweries would follow the trends. (Also I'm pretty sure "bland" wasn't Uinta's goal.) Barrel aging is another example. 5 or 6 years ago it was essentially a novelty, then we had KBS and BCBS and soon it was all the rage... Now everyone is throwing beer in barrels. I don't necessarily think it's stifling creativity though, I see plenty of breweries trying new things.

 

It's not whether or not we "need" them, but whether or not brewers want to brew them.

 

screw the session ipas just drink less of the reg. ipas. regular ipas are only a couple percent more so if u drink one less it's all the same, unless your drinking half a case at which point u shouldn't do ne thing

 

If the beer isn't good and people stop buying it, they will stop making it. On the other hand, if you see it again down the line you have your answer whether other people like it or not.

 

MARKETING--news alert-- most people avoid IPAs. Although these chat boards are practically devoted to them, a lot of people don't want them and pale ales are as far they go. For the opposite reasons, IPA lovers are a devoted group do want an option that keeps them from falling asleep at 4pm but like the extra bite that pale ales typically avoid--session IPA. You are correct that there really is huge overlap but brewers are answering a demand and don't care if there is overlap if they are generating sales.

I love Recreation from Terrapin. I am impressed with the new offerings.

I think you will see less pale ale offerings from startups. Who wants or can compete with SNPA? Probably not the first thing you will reach for from the local guy/gal.

 

Because if breweries don't come up with new beers all the time, people on beer websites like this will be posting comments such as "What's up with Brewery X? They never brew anything new." or "Brewery X is so boring. They haven't updated their lineup in, like, forever."

 

Hop Odyssey from GreenFlash is a good session IPA.

 

Variety is the spice of life .... Drink what you like, Let them brew what they like for the rest of us.
I personally love session IPA's if im starting early or just going to pound beer all afternoon. sure beats
resorting to the alternative, BMC

 

Sorry you can't find something different. You are apparently not looking. There is undoubtedly more variety of beer available to most of us today than ever before.

 

I think uinta's pale is 4% because of the ABV restrictions in Utah.

 

brew a bitter its really all the same thing, varies due to ABV.....

 

Because you're drinking it, that's YPA..

Unita 1, You 0.

 

That's apparently the maximum abv that Utah will allow in supermarkets, and I think Uinta does a great job with its 4.0 beers, especially re: their Baba Black Lager.

 

Allow me to chime in. I work at a bar that has roughly 500 bottles of beer and 50 tap handles. We have pretty much a pale ale or pale lager from every brewery we carry anything from. Most of these sit on the shelf collecting dust until someone who doesn't have taste buds mercifully orders one. Of those 500 beers there's maybe about 5 imperial stouts, so let that sink in a bit.

Our tap list has also gone to shit but that's just me being a disgruntled employee. To get back to what TheFlern said, I can't figure out why every brewery needs to make at least one boring beer in a boring style. I'm grateful that there's breweries like Pipeworks, Dogfish Head, and Russian River etc. that largely ignore this crap.