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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBud and Miller Are Trying to Hijack Craft Beer—and It’s Totally Backfiring
By Tom Philpott| Wed Jul. 30, 2014 6:00 AM EDT
For its part, Big Beer has responded to the declining popularity of its goods in two ways. The first is relentless cost cutting. When Belgian mega-brewer InBev bought US corporate beer giant Bud in 2008, it very quickly slashed 1,400 jobs, about 6 percent of its US workforce. And the laser-like focus on slashing costs has continued, as this aptly titled 2012 BusinessWeek piece, "The Plot to Destroy America's Beer," shows.
The second is to roll out phony craft beersbrands like ShockTop and Blue Moonand buy up legit craft brewers like Chicago's Goose Island, which InBev did in 2011. Other ersatz "craft" beers include Leinenkugel, Killian's, Batch 19, and Third Shift. The strategy has been successful, to a point. Bloomberg reports that InBev has seen its Goose Island and Shock Top sales surge.
But there's a catch: These stealth Big Beer brands aren't "putting the microbrewers who started the movement out of business," Bloomberg reports. Rather, "the new labels are taking sales from already-troubled mass-market brands owned by the industry giants peddling these crafty brews." In other words, consumers aren't dropping Sierra Nevada or Dogfish Head and reaching for the Shocktop. Rather, ShockTop sales are being propped up by refugees from Bud Light and the like.
While Big Beer attempts to solve its problems with crafty marketing and yet more giantism, US craft brewers are trying out innovative business models. Big-name craft brewers Full Sail (Oregon), New Belgium (Colorado), and Harpoon (Boston) are all fully employee-owned. Here in Austin, Black Star Brewery and Pub is cooperatively owned by 3,000 community members and managed by a "workers assembly" as a "democratic self-managed workplace." It may sound like it should be a cluster, but the place is always packed, the service is brisk, the food is good, and the beer is excellent. And the employees proudly refuse tips, citing their living wage as the reason. Meanwhile, a forthcoming worker-owned project, 4thTap Brewing Co-op, is creating excitement among Austin beer nerds with its promise to "bring radical brewing to the forefront of the Texas craft beer scene."
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/07/craft-beer-revival
phantom power
(25,966 posts)Blue Moon and Shock Top ain't no Dogfish or Stone, but on the other hand they're both more drinkable than a Bud or Miller.
The craft beer industry is having the desired effect -- it's forcing the Big Five to adapt.
Warpy
(111,383 posts)Narragansett in New England used to make a fairly good porter, a medium brown brew that was hoppy and dark and didn't taste like carbonated cat piddle.
In the mid 60s, the big brewers tried to emulate foreign beers with their own foreign sounding labels. I still really couldn't tell one from another.
My own homebrew tended to the brown and full bodied side, the alcohol boosted as far as I could manage, the stuff had a kick like a mule.
phantom power
(25,966 posts)The "3.2% rule" popularized weak flavorless beer and it took a long time (and Jimmy Carter) before craft beer started to work its way back into our culture.
Although the Twenty-first Amendment allowed brewers to legally resume practicing their craft, many "dry" counties remained and many states failed to ratify altogether, which slowed the resurgence of the brewing industry. In addition, the many prohibitionists of the temperance movement were still quite vocal and were able to retain a large following despite the repealing of the eighteenth amendment. Before the American beer industry could attempt to re-establish itself, World War II began. This further inhibited the re-emergence of smaller breweries because much of the grain supply was rationed due to the war, forcing the breweries to use adjuncts such as corn and rice alongside the barley traditionally used in brewing. The prohibitionists saw a tantalizing opportunity to quell the efforts of the remaining breweries, insisting that the commercial brewing of beer squandered manpower, grain, fuel, and cargo space that should have gone towards the war effort overseas.[27] Brewers responded to these accusations by extolling the benefits that brewer's yeast have on human health, namely their high vitamin B content. It was argued that the increase in thiamine in the diets of the soldiers and factory workers would improve performance on the battlefield as well as in the factory and that this increase sufficiently justified the need for beer. The American government decided that the benefits of the vitamin B in brewer's yeast, alongside the taxes coming in from beer sales, were enough to justify a request for fifteen percent of beer production for servicemen.[28]
...
From the time America entered the war in 1941 until it ended in 1945, the overall production of beer increased by over 40% despite the small number of active breweries.[27] This wartime growth allowed the large breweries such as Anheuser-Busch to dominate the American market for over fifty years. During this period they produced beers more noted for their uniformity than for any particular flavor. Beers such as those made by Anheuser-Busch and Coors Brewing Company followed a restricted pilsner style, with large-scale industrial processes and the use of low-cost ingredients like corn or ingredients such as rice that provided starch for alcohol production while contributing minimal flavor to the finished product. The dominance of the so-called "macrobrew" led to an international stereotype of "American beer" as poor in quality and flavor.[30][31]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_the_United_States#Prohibition
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)I recently tried a beer in the English Barleywine category. It was like drinking beer flavored whiskey. Talk about potent!
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)I used to drink Blue Moon before some local breweries opened.
phantom power
(25,966 posts)They're popping up like mushrooms around the Phoenix metro area.
I approve.
frylock
(34,825 posts)have you been there?
phantom power
(25,966 posts)Their food menu is good too, if not large.
Guy Whitey Corngood
(26,505 posts)a tasting tour on our local brewery. Going next month.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)Yes, I buy beer brewed not 20 miles from me and rum distilled not 15 miles from me. Neither is a big company. Both provide outstanding products.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)Alas, they outgrew that facility and moved to another part of town.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)including my favorite, NoDa Brewing. Best beer I ever tasted. We also have a couple of awesome craft beer shops that sell brands from microbreweries all over the US.
DAMANgoldberg
(1,278 posts)comes to mind...Fan of NoDa and Highland from Asheville personally.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)If I'm going to drink Bud or Coors I might as well drink my own piss. I love the Apricot Ale! Haven't had one yet, but will soon.
These beers are starting to attract an international market as well. They sell tons of microbrews in South Korea from the US and other places. The catch is you pay through the nose for it. A good bottle of beer (medium size) can run $5-6 about twice what it is here.
I'm headed back next week and contemplating whether I can find a way to take a bottle back with me in a plastic container wrapped really well in between some clothes. I really don't want my new clothes to have broken glass and beer in them!
Ps-Korean beer is just as bad as American beer. Not worth drinking at all.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)I will never willingly put a penny in the Coors family pocket.
Shocktop and Blue moon I did try once at my daughter's and found them to be lousy ass weak ass beers that might as well have been Budweiser. It is possible she had gotten some of that shitty 3.2 crap that Oklahoma still sells but either way, blechh.
Tonight we are having Anchor and State Pen Porters. Have fallen in love with the porter style and mean to try them all eventually as we have had these before.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)One of my favorite porters is Baltic Porter by Duck Rabbit Brewery.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)We have a local store that carries over 1,000 different beers.
A lot of brewers will not come into Oklahoma because the laws here are stupid, real beer (higher than 3.2) can not be sold cold and there are issues with the distribution system so some can be hard to get here. If you ever look at a bottle and it says Oklahoma+ that means it can not be sold cold in Oklahoma except for bars and who can afford to drink great beers in bars?
I found one recently I wanted to try called Funky Buddha but they have not yet made it out of Florida.
I think the State Pen is cold enough now so time for a pour. Since we have to start warm it is nice that Porters prefer a warmer temperature.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)I enjoy Spotted Cow, imo, the national beer of Wisconsin.
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)Jimmy is the man singlehandedly responsible for the craft beer boom.
Initech
(100,108 posts)We beer drinkers know mass produced swill when we see it! You can't just slap a fancy label on your brews and call it craft beer, no no no.
Coventina
(27,215 posts)His latest kick is Trappist beers.
He's especially fond of the new Trappist American beer:
http://spencerbrewery.com/
Support your American Brewing Brothers!!
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Fred Friendlier
(81 posts)I read that this morning at dailykos.com where the "scientist" goons are busy trying to suppress the people's right to know what is in their food.
SunSeeker
(51,745 posts)frylock
(34,825 posts)and why would I? from where I sit in my office, I can be at any number of micro/macros in a matter of minutes. Ballast Point is a mile from here, and Green Flash is maybe 10 minutes away. There's at least four more in between that I'm aware of. I just laugh when someone brings that Goose Island or Red Hook crap to a party.
snort
(2,334 posts)The great beer here seems limitless, as does my thirst.
musiclawyer
(2,335 posts)Serious question. Going there next week. I am partial to fruity, not too heavy
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)I'm going to Portland the middle of next month to visit my son and I'm hoping to spend much of my time there happily inebriated on the local beers.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Apple Ale | Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland
This tart, cidery refresher made as a blend of beer and pressed apples was a hit at last years Portland Fruit Beer Festand quickly ascended to the full-time lineup. 5.8% ABV
Cascade Apricot | Cascade Barrel House, Portland
Bright and hazy orange with a zingy, lemony tartness up front, this Belgian-style ale flows with waves of delicious, ripe apricot flavor. 8.5% ABV
Sweet Heat | Burnside Brewing Co, Portland
Lesser chile beers crash the palate party and leave. But Burnsides is brewed with apricot purée and Scotch bonnet peppers, which supply a lingering, welcome heat. 4.9% ABV
http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/bars-and-nightlife/beer/oregon-beer-guide-2013/articles/50-best-oregon-beers-july-2013/
Trajan
(19,089 posts)It is quite popular ...
For the record; Portland International Beerfest (PIB) Is scheduled for August 8 through 10 ... look it up ...
Beervana lives ....
flying rabbit
(4,644 posts)http://www.mcmenamins.com/
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)Join the craft beer revolution. Less peeing, more flavor.
EEO
(1,620 posts)d_r
(6,907 posts)he should remember what Miller did to Celis. That was the beginning of this, when Miller bought out Celis so that they would have their own craft line. That was a freaking disaster that ended up leaving the world a little more empty. Or at least my refrigerator. At least inbev kept making hoegarrden when they bought him out there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celis
WcoastO
(55 posts)and we have several great micro breweries and there is consistent quality and variety....plus Oregon has breweries all over the place, so finding excellent beer is an easy and tasty "task".
TheKentuckian
(25,029 posts)It is nice to hit the corner store cooler and come out with something tolerable and making good ever more likely to be found in more places.
Once there is a little variety, it usually keeps opening up.
DemocraticWing
(1,290 posts)I like craft beer, but I also think Bud and Miller have their roles. Some people don't want to explore different tastes in beer, and that's fine. I'm different, but I also know that when I'm low on money I certainly enjoy a six-pack of Miller Lite.
Budweiser, Miller, and PBR are Union-made beers as well. So if you're gonna buy cheap domestic, do that. Just don't buy anything made by Coors.
Mike Daniels
(5,842 posts)I can't say I've found any real difference in the quality since InBev took them over. That said, I usually stick to their smaller batch higher ABV % beers versus anything that would be a "session" style.
* as opposed to Blue Moon/Shock Top etc.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)I am from the NW north of Yakima, where the best hops in the world are grown. Craft breweries started popping up in the early 80's in WA and Oregon, and after my first sip of real beer I never drank corporate rat piss again. Support. your local progressive owned local brewery!