"Craft or crafty? Consumers deserve to know the truth"

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Todd, Dec 13, 2012.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. rlcoffey

    rlcoffey Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2004 Kentucky

    The new recipe is an English Pale Ale. Its supposed to be an "authentic" 1930s, just after prohibition type recipe, I think.
     
  2. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Ah, but now we're getting the murky area (which I mentioned briefly early today) of how one defines "macro". I'd say "macro" should be reserved for a BIG (10 million barrels and up or so, so even bigger than the B.A.'s "large brewery" definition) nationally-distribute brewing company, most with multiple breweries, etc., so in the above, only Heileman would fit my definition.

    And it would pretty much be limited to (past and present) AB, M-C, Miller, Coors, Heileman, Stroh, Schlitz, Stroh... think that's it for the US.

    You seem to be going with any large regional pre-craft era brewery that brewed American adjunct lager primarily.
     
  3. rlcoffey

    rlcoffey Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2004 Kentucky

    Yep. Its why I used "" around it. Hey, they were all large in my region of the country. Who cares whether they distributed to CA or NJ?

    As an aside, or maybe more on track, the new Falls City is a decent craft beer. But, the places that carry it all carry better craft beer. Partly its just not a style that wows me and makes me go out of my way to have one. Now, if they had gone with a 1910ish era Kentucky Common recipe, that would have been cool.
     
  4. PangaeaBeerFood

    PangaeaBeerFood Initiate (0) Nov 30, 2008 New York

    I agree with this anti-BMC sentiment. Now excuse me while I enjoy a Bourbon County Stout.
     
    JavaNoire likes this.
  5. jacksback

    jacksback Initiate (0) Jul 20, 2011 Massachusetts

    People? A pretty fair number of people, from the look of it.

    YOU might not care where your beer comes from and where your money goes, but some people do.

    But hey, you make a really compelling point with the whole "who cares? I don't." argument.

    :rolling_eyes:
     
  6. kelvarnsen

    kelvarnsen Pundit (944) Nov 30, 2011 Canada (ON)

    But why does it matter to you? I mean in the beer advocate review form, there are 5 things you rate, and not one of them is "opinion of this brewery's parent company". I read the article that is the first post and it doesn't give any kind of reason why a beer from Kona or Goose Island is inherently bad because of who makes it.
     
    RoninTK3 likes this.
  7. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Yeah, still sorta surprises me that no one's jumped on that American "lost style" - even as every old German, Belgian, Polish, Mayan, Egyptian, et. al., beer style/recipe is unearthed and brewed by US craft brewers.

    Even if it is 'tweaked' the way Maytag did with Anchor Steam to meet modern tastes and prejudices (his own, and others'). From what I've read of Kentucky Common, it's not as if the recipe(s) are so specific that they don't allow for a lot of leeway. I mean, look at what Coors can get away with re: the authenticity of Batch 19. Hell, we live in a country where Miller Lite is labeled a "Fine Pilsner Beer" - you can get away with anything.
     
    SunDevilBeer, rlcoffey and frazbri like this.
  8. rlcoffey

    rlcoffey Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2004 Kentucky

    New Albanian makes one. I homebrew one that definitely fits the "modern interpretation" kind of thing you are talking about (6 row, corn, cluster hops, but to a more modern american craft size, ~5.5% abv).
     
  9. Handle

    Handle Initiate (0) Mar 16, 2009 North Carolina

    Something no one's talking about:

    The Brewers Association's purpose, as stated on their website, it to "promote and protect small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts."

    In the interests of transparency they published all of this, seemingly to caution against purchasing from "a crafty large brewer, seeking to capitalize on the mounting success of small and independent craft brewers?"

    That's all well and good, but why, then, are breweries like AC Golden, Anheuser-Busch, Leinenkugel, Blue Moon and more among their very members, which "drive and assist upon Association initiatives that are created to support the craft brewing community"?
     
    JavaNoire likes this.
  10. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I'm guessing it has something to do with:


    Associate: Brewery Production > 6 million bbls​
    $15,000​

    So, that's a cool $165k just from the 11 AB breweries alone (not counting the CBA breweries, GI, etc).

    Gotta ask, what's in it for them. (Or do they just say, "Oh, look, the 6%'ers are complaining again. How cute!")
     
    stuart3368 and Handle like this.
  11. udubdawg

    udubdawg Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2006 Kansas

    I'm not going to say where I fall on this debate, perhaps because I haven't completely made up my mind about it.

    just one question on a line in the op-ed that jumped out at me:
    "They sell these beers through their strong distribution channels, but market these faux-craft beers as if they were from independent, locally owned craft breweries."

    is this really true? Seems like an exaggeration. I don't think it is hard to find out who makes these beers, and I've never seen them suggest they are anything like the little brewpub or nano down the street.

    Also, does sale of a craft company immediately turn them into faux-craft, or do we call them A Brewery Formerly Known As Craft, or Craft-ish, or what? And size - I'm wrong a lot, but my recollection is that "craft" definitions have changed as certain breweries got larger. Do breweries become too successful to call craft anymore?

    cheers--
    --Michael
     
  12. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,254) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    Staff Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    The Brewers Association also allows them to pour (and accepts their sponsorship dollars) at their Great American Beer Festival. Based on my discussions, their reasoning behind this exception is that their definition of "craft brewer" was created after large brewers had already been allowed to participate.
     
    Handle likes this.
  13. kinopio

    kinopio Savant (1,013) Apr 30, 2009 Massachusetts

    I care. I would rather my money go to the brewer who lives in my area and works hard making and selling his/her beer than some rich suit wearing asshole based in another country who doesn't know the first thing about beer and only got into the industry because of his dad's connections.

    One of those people care about the quality of the beer. The other person only cares about money. I know who I would rather support.
     
    BeerTwigs likes this.
  14. ClubberLang

    ClubberLang Crusader (422) Jun 1, 2007 Illinois

    A few brewers have done them, although I'm not certain that I've seen any in bottles. Local Option did one that I thought was pretty tasty: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16773/81145
     
  15. bdub32689

    bdub32689 Initiate (0) May 19, 2011 Massachusetts

    I think its safe to say more net jobs were created when they took over.
    But thats where I have a problem with this article too. I get there is a difference between true craft breweries and ones ran by bigger companies but the job portion of the article should really be a stand alone article.

    Craft breweries are by definition smaller and have less employee's as a result the bigger the brewery the more jobs created. They would get their point across more if they focused on the quality of the product between large and small breweries
     
  16. Steeeve

    Steeeve Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2010 Pennsylvania

    As long as no one is being hurt by the products, it is up to consumers to do their own research on where a product comes from and who is selling it. When you buy an Infiniti, is there a sticker inside that says THIS CAR WAS MADE BY NISSAN? Of course there isn't. Does Seasons 52 have DARDEN ALSO OWNS THE OLIVE GARDEN emblazoned on every menu? NO! It's not like these companies are somehow hiding this information and we are all shocked and disgusted by the discovery. The information is there if you want it, and judging by their sales figures, most people don't care that Miller makes Blue Moon or don't care enough to find that out.
     
  17. evilc

    evilc Initiate (0) Jan 27, 2012 California

    So, using GI as an example - you are saying the employees, brewers etc don't care about the quality of the beer? Buying GI beer doesn't keep them employed? You want to "punish" them because a "suit wearing asshole" ( aka employer of tens of thousands of Americans ) own the place?
     
  18. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado


    Important point underlined and in bold italics. It always comes down to the money and there's no reason that it won't continue to do so.
     
  19. Handle

    Handle Initiate (0) Mar 16, 2009 North Carolina

    I figured as much. It's just funny that they paint a less than flattering picture of big breweries buying small breweries, and yet they happily allow those same breweries to buy their way into membership.
     
    JavaNoire likes this.
  20. kelvarnsen

    kelvarnsen Pundit (944) Nov 30, 2011 Canada (ON)

    But what if the guy making in the small brewery is making crap? Plus how do you know the guy in the small brewery isn't also some rich suit who saw the amount of growth in the craft beer industry and decided it would be a good business to invest in. I personally don't have the time to research every last company making beer to figure out their motivation and why they are in the beer business, so all I can go on is how the product tastes.
     
    darknova306, acevenom and JavaNoire like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.