I think there has been, and continues to be, so much one-upmanship in the craft beer "conversation" around attaching "important/not immediately apparent" features to your beers (with BrewDog taking it to the most -- intentionally -- absurd levels), that the fact that so many craft beers fit the basic definition has been lost.
I was referencing the first post. There was a story about a rocket mountain oysters in beer. The enjoy by might have been a gimmick or sarcasm as a response to requests for bottle dating?
I think the last issue of Draft magazine had an article on "movie beers" which I find gimmicky. Most notably I see Monty Python Holy GrAle quite often.
A couple of things come to mind as I read this thread: A vortex bottle is a gimmick. Brewing your saison with cucumbers is not. Not so sure about beer brewed from a beard. What's next? Fromunda Bruin? Get over the color of the bottle already! Voodoo Donut is a store (now a chain) in Portland that prominently features the Pepto Bismal pink. The maple bacon bar is one of their signature items, and is marginally iconic in Portland. Consequently, Rogue's beer should be seen as an homage, not as a gimmick. Not that this makes it taste any better...
First thing i thought of when i heard gimmic. Southern Tier is an interesting one, i feel like its a good thing to try, but not balanced enough to keep you coming back. Often too sweet, but it tastes just like what they say it is, whether its oat, chocolate, or the real kicker, creme brûlée. Creme brûlée has one of the most potent aromas i have ever smelled, i mean you can smell it two seats down from the person drinking it at the bar. All in all there are just better brews out there, but interesting and gimmic seem to go hand in hand which lends itself to creation.
Not only gimmicky, but also hacky. I would rather see a brewer elicit and/or elude to flavors in a beer using malt, hops, yeast, and water than actually putting the item whose flavor they are going after in the beer. To me the former is much harder to craft (as well as being much more interesting than whacking me over the head with certain flavors) and takes recipe development to acheive instead of just tossing weird ingredients into beer and putting it on sale. To me its a shame that wierd ingredient beer and style mashups have become known as "innovation" and traditional styles have become "boring" by the geeks who seem to be driving this segment with craft brewers. I am hoping its just a phase in the maturation of craft beer and you will see this become only a fringe segment in the future. Maybe it's something that brewers want to do themeselves, but it comes off as mostly a way to gain attention for your brewery from beer geeks and the beer press.
While I am inclined to agree, wynkoop originally made the video for Rocky Mountain oyster stout as an April fools day joke, it was only when us (the consumers) told them that they should make it that they actually tried it. So we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Pliny the Younger. Tap only, no growler fills, no bottles. Tastes like Angel pee. BFD! You can have it!
I can see how this comes off as gimmicky to those who don't really understand the effects of oxygen and time on hop flavor or don't agree with the importance of freshness in hop forward beers. But those who crave fresh hop flavor though probably think this should be a standard requirement for all hoppy beers. IMO I think they should be congratulated for increasing awarness of the issue with distributors and retailers - most hopheads are already aware of this and are frustrated by the plethora of not so fresh ipa's on store shelves.
So is your issue that it can't be easily ticked and traded or that it tastes like pee? And just how do you know what pee tastes like? ;-)
Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale - 70/Average - Gimmicky? Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter - 99/World-Class - The first page of reviews include words like "awesome", "unique", "excellent", "divine" Seems to me the difference between Gimmicky and World Class is execution (and the fact that the Rogue beer is co-branded with Voodoo Doughnut). Based on the name alone, one might think that these two beers are similar. Alas, that is not the case.
One could say that it is only a gimmick until they make a style out of it. It was not that long ago that it was pilsner, lager, porter and stout now we have Oatmeal stouts and Russian Imperial Stouts and American Stouts and....wait for it " Maple Bacon Donut Stout" wait till you wander in to your local tasting room to a whole line of those
I'd love to try that Mama Mia Pizza Beer or whatever its called. I dont even care if it gives me garlic breath.
-- WOW! ...$16?! - I agree if that's the case 4 you, we had it here in Ohio (where are you at?) for about $10 a Bomber. I (do) feel it wld have been better for this to be in a 4 or 6 pk. (the Big Boy's a "bit" much all at once..best to Share this one). I Did try it..actually wasn't Terrible (though I bet/know some thought it was). It was fairly popular around here, a handful of folks myself included..bought it More than once. Agree about the "Gimmicky" beers..but every now & Again..I say what the hell too. My LOVE for Bacon helped out w/ this one too. - Paired well w/ things (foods & even a Good cigar..haahaa) - which isn't what I'm "always" looking for in a beer but.. -- BA wasn't too kind on the Rating of this one...but they have a Bacon Maple Coffee Porter Brew from the Funky Buddha they rated a 99, so...to each their own I suppose as with Any beer really - everyone's tastes are different.
I'm a sucker for the "gimmicks" as an art student I've learned that one way to get the attention of people is to push the bounderies. I would constantly try to create things that people couldn't help but to look at for one reason or another. A gimmick is a way to grab the attention of people who might be willing to take that extra step forward and say "I'll do it" or in this case "I'll drink it". I like that breweries do this, I love that some are successful and that some fall flat on their faces too. In any scheme of things the idea is to go big or go home. If you make a tradional beer that tastes, smells and looks like shit... it doesn't mean people will like it. It's creative minds that keep this world going whether it's with beer, art or anything for that matter. Adding Bull Testicals to a beer is something I would never frown upon, I actually would enjoy trying it someday. I think at one time everything is a gimmick, some of them catch on and people realize that it might actually work. I feel that it makes things more fun, it's also a sense of freedom to do as we all please.
It's gimmicky for sure, but I liked Cigar City's Homefront IPA aged on Louisville Slugger baseball bats.
