Making economics interesting: Beer in the wine aisle

I’ve steered clear of the recent “wine-ification” of beer kerfuffle because I don’t have anything to say I haven’t already (New Beer Rule #7: Beer is not the new wine was written back in December of 2007, thus predating about half the breweries in the United States).

But today Mike Veseth, who I’ve mentioned here many times (including about his fine book, Wine Wars, and that he has another, Extreme Wine, on the way) asks the question: Is Craft Beer the Next Big Thing in Wine?

Remember the context and that the discussion revolves around economics. And it pretty much starts with an answer to the question he asks in the headline.

(Yes) — if you are thinking about things in terms of market spaces. The wine market space and that of craft beer are increasingly overlapping as craft beers infringe on wine’s turf (and low alcohol wines threaten to do the same for beer). And if the common battlefield isn’t huge at this point, it is certainly growing and warrants attention.

Much of it won’t appear new if you’ve been reading the beer compared to wine discussion for the past several years. But, you know, not everyone has. So it’s worth taking the time to move from Point A to Point B and so on with him. Words like innovation (“Innovation is a hot topic in the beverage business these days and craft beer presents more opportunities for innovation and product development than most wines if you are aiming at that market segment.”) and complexity are used. It’s interesting to read what somebody who does not live in the beer aisle has to write about beer.

So craft beer has a lot in common with wine and maybe a couple of advantages. With these products more widely available and a growing customer base that is ready and willing to experiment, I think it is plausible and wine and craft beer will increasingly share market space and must take that competition into account.

Something to think about.

And one quick side note:

At the end he suggests that some wineries might start to brew beer. Of course, that’s already happened. There are several wineries across the country who already do brew beer. Notably, in 1997 Korbel Champagne Cellars started Russian River Brewing in northern California and hired Vinnie Cilurzo as brewmaster. Six years later, Korbel decided to get out of the brewing business. Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo bought the brand and started a brewpub, then a production brewery, in Santa Rosa. Do you think Korbel wishes it could take that decision back?

The Session #73 wrapped up

The SessionAdam at Pints and Pubs has posted the roundup for The Session #73: Beer Audit.

There turned out to be a lot more going on than simply auditing, as his wrapup illustrates. He divides the posts into:

– Auditing.
– Hoarding.
– Ageing.
– Drink it now!

He even comes to a conclusion.

It was fascinating and occasionally mouthwatering reading through the responses. I was glad to discover I wasn’t alone in hoarding beer, counting my beer, and then failing to drink it. But I also want a less precious relationship with beer, that some have managed, where beer doesn’t become too special to drink.

But does he manage to open the bottle that’s already been in the cupboard too long?

The Session #74 topic announced: Finding beer balance

The SessionHost Bryan Roth has announced the topic for April’s Session, the 74th for those of you keeping score at home, is “Finding Beer Balance.” Here are the basics:

Is beer your vice? Is beer your reward? Does beer really have to be either? Do you find lifestyle balance through work, hobbies, family or maybe even “Dry Days” like David Bascombe? There are a variety of ways to find balance.

These questions are simply a jumping-off point. No matter what your answer, I’d love for you to join us in April. Here’s how to participate:

– Think of a response to post on your blog. Or just leave a response in the comment section – no blog (or blogging experience) necessary.
– Post your response on “Finding Beer Balance” on April 5.
– Come back to this post and leave a comment with a link to your response.
It’s that easy. But most important, don’t forget to check out the great work of other participants. I’ll have a round-up of all the responses on Sunday, April 7.

Should your brain need a jump start, Boak and Bailey recently addressed the question “What is balance in beer?” (I hesitated the reference, since it includes a nod toward my latest book and you probably feel I’ve been slagging that enough. Read it anyway.)

Session #73: A different sort of beer audit

Thomas Hardy's aleSee that cork? There was a time, not long before the photo was taken, that the top of the cork and the surrounding glass were dead level.

Occasionally a beer like this will reach out, smack you upside the head, and make a gesture like this, essentially screaming, “I’m 40 years old, drink me.”

More often, you’ll screw it up. Stick a beer behind some others in the cellar. Let it sit long enough you hate to part with it. Eventually you’ll have a collector’s item. Valued at auction only for the bottle itself and label. (Yes, a wink and a nod in the direction of eBay.)

Years ago, a friend’s sister died. She had a few cases of wine she’s tucked away when he husband died several years ago. Our friends wondered which of these might be particularly good to drink now (understand that “now” was then). They asked me to look at them. I don’t really know that much about wine, but I brought along a couple of vintage books — the ones that list which years are good for which regions. I didn’t need the books. These were obviously old bottles of cheap wine, some red, some white, like it mattered.

Age does not make most wine better. It certainly does not make most beer better.

The SessionHold that thought as we consider the topic of The Session #73: Beer Audit. Sort of consider, because to be honest, what follows does not come from the list of suggested topics.

Not that long ago beers like Thomas Hardy’s Ale, the one so determined at the top of this post to pop the cork, were an anomaly. Beers weren’t as strong, packaging technology wasn’t as good. There were lots of reasons not to cellar beer.1

The beer world has also changed in other ways, ultimately because what drinkers want is different (or at least broader). Not only are there more strong beers, but more beers packed with all sorts of ingredients, more beers aged in barrels, more crazy beers, more beers you might as well lay down because they sure as shit aren’t drinkable right now.

Check out the links that will pop up at Pints and Pubs today. I suspect there will be plenty of photos of drop-dead beer collections. And beyond the relatively few participating in The Session there are hundreds (thousands?) who have even more impressive libraries. And there’s every chance that some of the bottles we’re talking about will be better with five years or ten years on them than most Thomas Hardy’s were at five and ten.

The first vintage of Hardy’s was brewed in 1967 and released in 1968. Think of the movies finished in 1967 and up for the Oscars in 1968. Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, In The Heat of the Night, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Doctor Dolittle.

Aside from the last one — anybody up for laying down some cans of Pabst to watch along with Doctor Doolittle? — those are classics, if occasionally dated. They age better than beer. I saw them on the screen then (even DD) and I’ve seen them relatively recently (except for DD). I didn’t drink a Hardy’s in 1968, but I did taste the contents of that 1968 bottle in 2008.

So given that the topic today is beer audit I’m thinking about my relationship with beer, why I choose to drink what I do at particular times, why I choose to occasionally cellar a few beers, why I pick the ones I do, why I decide to haul one out.

That’s all, just thinking about it.

*****

1 In case you feel the need to educate me about the history of cellaring, I know there have long been some beers to lay down, including lambics and others with considerable heft. If you want to read more about the latter, I suggest you buy a copy of Amber, Gold & Black: The History of Britain’s Great Beers for a proper footnote.

Beer innovation #2416: Nip size cans

21st Amendment Lower De BoomSee that sleek, gold can on the right that looks like it’s waiting to make an appearance in Super Bowl commercial? Brilliant idea. It contained1 8.4 ounces (248ml) of Lower De Boom barleywine from 21st Amendment Brewery.

Lower De Boom is 11.5% alcohol by volume. I can’t count how many 22-ounce and bigger bottles my local beer shop has full of barleywines and other beers just as strong. No wonder they call them bombers. I get the concept that bigger bottles are for sharing, but Daria and I shared 8.4 ounces.

I don’t have much more to say the De Boom itself — it’s a bit American/pungent on the nose, but a dessert beer; rich, plenty of caramel and some dark fruit character, a little sweet, but it may dry out as it ages, or do you lay down beer in cans? And it comes with a back story. 2

*****

1 Yes, past tense. 21st Amendment spent far more sending the the beer to me than it would cost in a store. If I could buy it in St. Louis I would.

2 Cornelius De Boom was a Belgian-born ship owner who made it to San Francisco in time for the gold rush in 1848. De Boom Street, named for him, is the alley which runs alongside 21st Amendment Brewery. The brewery’s De Boom Street entrance is often referred to as “lower De Boom” by brewery employees.