Comments on: What is craft beer and how much should it cost?

By: Dave Horton

Dave Horton — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:03:13 +0000

But what about the basic question, What should a craft beer cost? glass/mug? bottle? pitcher? Maybe even a range?

What does a working class dude in Kansas City Missouri, or GI in Lawton (Ft. Sill) pay for a beer?

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:48:15 +0000

They should step up and claim their beers, if only from pride.

Hallelujah (well, it is Sunday morning).

I think the A-B brewers would agree. I’ve talked to the guys who developed the recipes for the organic beers and they are proud of them.

But marketing research found that the people who buy organic products don’t like big companies. Does that mean I side with marketing? Hell, no. This is a chance to get out front and say, “We make damn fine beer.”

On the other hand, the people who are shopping for gluten-free beer – the people who are putting their health in the hands of the manufacturer – trust A-B. So you see Redbridge promoted as from Anheuser-Busch.

By: Lew Bryson

Lew Bryson — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 04:24:41 +0000

So do we call Orlio a “Stealth Beer” then? And what about the A-B beers that don’t say “Bud” “Busch” or “Michelob” on them, but DO have “Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO” on them?

I think A-B and Coors do themselves a disservice by ‘stealthing.’ They should step up and claim their beers, if only from pride. When drinkers do find out that a beer like Blue Moon is a Coors beer, they feel shafted. I’d say they’re half-right; the beer’s okay, but they done got lied to.

By: Stephen Beaumont

Stephen Beaumont — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:44:36 +0000

What’s wrong with “Stealth Beers,” as it appeared years ago in The Celebrator? (Coined, I believe, by the inimitable Mr. Dalldorf to describe the Big Three’s earliest efforts at producing brands aimed at the emerging craft beer marketplace.) It has no derogatory insinuation like “faux” and I think perfectly describes the intent to hide the identity of the brewery behind the brand.

By: Alan

Alan — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:17:34 +0000

Get back there, Stan, whenever you wake up. I have invented a better term for a segment of “faux craft” and am working out a universal theory of the beer continuum.

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:02:27 +0000

Lew – Agreed on all counts.

I’m pretty sure that the value (though I don’t have a formula for Alan on balancing cost and quality) depends more on how a beer is brewed than where. That makes “craft” a tricky term and “faux craft” treacherous.

By: Lew Bryson

Lew Bryson — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:00:18 +0000

Yeah, it’s a full buy-out, and was, and Miller — surprisingly, given their track record with Celis — pretty much gave them access to distribution and capital, and let ‘em fly. I do still like Creamy Dark, but will admit the last time I had one was 18 months or so ago. Haven’t had the ‘extreme’ ones, but if they have even 2/3 the guts of the corresponding Saranacs, they’d be worth a try.

And by the way…you guys know this, but “faux craft” as a term really frickin’ bugs me. I do not think craft brewers do themselves any favors by putting down beers simply because of where they are brewed. I would encourage craft brewers — and us — to spread the word on who makes those beers, because people ought to be buying them on full disclosure: how’s it taste, who makes it, how’s it advertised, how’s it sold, and so on. If people want to buy a beer cuz it’s from a ‘small, independent’ brewery, fine. If they want to buy it based on how it tastes — or the price. Heh. — that’s fine too. Maybe even finer.

By: SteveH

SteveH — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:11:03 +0000

“Miller bought Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing in 1988.”

Man, hard to believe it’s almost been 20 years! But I thought it wasn’t a full-blown buy-out, but that was 19 years ago — what do I know, or remember?

By: SteveH

SteveH — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:55:12 +0000

I meant Leiny controls what goes on with its beer made in Milwaukee.

Got it. So back to the original question, how much of Leinie does Miller actually “own?”

Hate to ask? Afraid I’m gonna rail? Me?

No, those new ones are pretty limited in their release — and on tap only, right? Budgetary constraints keep me from the bars these days, but yeah — I’ve heard some rumble about them, mostly at BeerAdvocate. If I see them I’d probably give them a chance.

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:24:43 +0000

I meant Leiny controls what goes on with its beer made in Milwaukee.

I hate to ask, but have your tried their “extreme” beers, the Double IPA and Impy Stout. I’ve heard good things about them.