BEER AND WINE LINKS 04.02.18
Two Jacksonian Scholars Debate NEIPA.
Frivolous in a refreshing way. Some weeks it seems like most of the stories I see related to beer pretty directly involve the business of beer (for instance this, or this, but also several below). “Jacksonian Scholars” is not one of those.
Ah, as so often he presents us with a mirror reflecting our own prejudices.”
How should beer types and styles be organized taxonomically?
You know this will not end well.
When Craft Breweries Bite Back | Summit Brewing’s Unique Approach to its UnTappd Reviews.
Next up from Summit Brewing: A Glitter IPA that files your taxes.”
The Ultimate Exchange Program — How American Experiences Shape Foreign Brands.
Starting a business is an objective sign of ambition for any entrepreneur, but to bring American brewing culture to a country where the majority of its population doesn’t consume alcohol due to religious beliefs is something else altogether.”
A Craft Brewery Can Sell Out Without Being Bought.
This feels like the “what is craft?” question from a different angle. And it is also one of those stories that mixes business and (beer) pleasure.
Is doubling down on these review-baiting beers, arguably at the expense of other styles, a type of selling out? It’s certainly not the same as actually selling stake to Big Beer. … But something about marketing beers that feed more accolades and Instagram likes than conversations in a core community feels … corporate.”
Goose Island aims to shake off rough year with new beers, ad campaign.
The flip side of story above.
Virtually every major Goose Island brand was down nationally last year in grocery, convenience, big box and drug stores, according to Chicago-based market research firm IRI: 312 Urban Wheat Ale fell 19 percent; Green Line Pale Ale and Four Star Pils were each down 35 percent; Honker’s Ale fell 49 percent; even sales of Goose Island variety packs were down 33 percent.”
Budweiser Launch ‘Blessed Beer’ Ahead of World Cup – Brew Infused With Fan Pride & Passion.
This was not one of the gazillion beery April Fools’ posts yesterday.
DUDE
Blue Moon Creator Plans to Release Line of THC-Infused Non-Alcoholic Beers.
The ‘weediest beer of them all’
Craft brewers tap into cannabis-infused beers.
Our Lady of Perpetual Hops.
Hemp is on the Horizon. Will it Change the Game for Farm Country?
Groundbreaking Beer Made With Actual Cannabis Will Most Assuredly Get You High.
Consumer perceptions of strain differences in Cannabis aroma.
Not of all of these links are from the past week (in fact the second appeared here March 26), but together they illustrate that we’re going to see a lot more business of beer stories related to a, well let’s say different, sort of sensory experience. Whether from terpenes — including those that overlap with many in hops — or other elements. A story in Westword about the academic paper in the final link was headlined, “How Many Smells Can One Marijuana Strain Have?”
WINE
Liquid Kitsch: Wine, Beauty and the Obsession with Smooth.
In 2016 the top 30 wineries represented 90% of the domestic wine sold in the U.S and most of this wine is distributed by 3 mega distribution companies. They are perfectly happy to offer hundreds of identical wines, with smooth and fruity as their guiding light, letting their marketing departments and label designers sell the wine. Liquid kitsch is what they do and do well. But there are over 9000 wineries in the U.S. fighting over the scraps that big wine hasn’t gobbled up. We don’t need that many wineries selling the same product.”
FROM TWITTER
Snag a few 4 packs of this guy while you can. Available at the taproom tomorrow at noon. pic.twitter.com/Gux1pY9UWg
— La Cumbre Brewing Co (@LaCumbreBrewing) March 29, 2018
That “selling out to review sites” thing has obvious parallels with winemakers pandering to the taste of Robert Parker – maybe less obvious in the US but really obvious when winemakers in historic regions of Europe suddenly start making juice bombs.
The Bud football beer recalls something Carlsberg did as part of their sponsorship of Liverpool FC – “Red Hops” was made with hops grown in soil from the pitch, and illuminated by TVs showing Liverpool matches on loop.
Interesting that cannabis split into earthy and citrussy groups, it’s almost like they’re related to European and New World hops, Fuggles versus Cascade.
On the “too many wineries” – Pub Curmudgeon has just made the same point with British breweries. I think it’s complicated – there’s the need for economic efficiency versus the social aspects of the family business thing, people will work harder/cheaper for their kin than for a boss, and it’s just a natural size for a business.