Posts Tagged ‘craft beer’

Talking about what it takes to succeed in Distribution with Ben Brown. This week we were recording at Bread and Brew once more. We also mentioned Brewery Fans.

This weeks episode was recorded at The Wonderland Ballroom. A great place, two parts dive bar, one part Beer Geek place. I highly recommend it. To Chris O’Brien the Beer Activist. If you have wondered about sustainability, or craft brewing business models, this is the episode for you.

Most of you have probably already read the article on Beernews.org about Coors brewing a recipe called Batch 19. It’s Coors attempt at another craft style beer. I am no beer expert, and still have only a basic grasp of the distribution system. So I can not weight in on the idea that distributors are using beers like this to gain more tap handles or what not. But since I am currently getting my degree in Business, I will give my two cents. It all comes down to market share. Everyone always talks about how craft brewers are fighting for every bit of the 5% or so market share that they have. What people don’t mention is that the big brewers are fighting for that same 5%, and they are losing. That 5% is made up of people who like a specific type of craft style beer. AB, and Miller/Coors know this, and they are trying to create that type of beer. In the end if by some quirk of nature Coors and the rest create a great beer, will the craft beer movement crumble. Not by a long shot. Those 5% are made up by people who know what they like and who vote with their dollar. I say if the big brewers make a great beer, that would be.. well, great. One more good beer on the shelves. But by no means does that mean the Big two will get all of my money. 9 times out ten I will still be getting a mixed six of east coast brewers. I know that I am looking at this from a consumer point of view, and that craft brewers themselves would like as little competition on the shelves as possible, but I really think that they shouldn’t worry about what the big guys are doing. At most they will lose some of those fringe craft beer drinkers who are only drinking small brewery beer because it is trendy. At best the big guys  may accidentally convert some of they drinkers who are on the fence. Only time will tell. Besides everyone should home brew any ways.

So if you have been crawling the beer news feeds, you will know that beer was seized from three bars in Pennsylvania last week. To summarize the story, the $75  registration fee was not paid on the beer by the brewery and even though the beer was paid for and licensed by the bars it was still taken in organized “raids”.

Apparently the whole thing started because someone complained. I find this bit very suspicious. In reality who would have anything to gain by complaining. There are a lot things that happen off the record in the craft beer community, and ‘unregistered’ beer is just one example of the way some of us can try those beers that aren’t generally available in our areas. I worry that this will set a very bad precedent and in time all the fun things (that don’t hurt anyone) that we get away with now will slowly be stomped out.

Here is a link to the story through Beernews.org, the Beer sage has the best links for those who want to look into the story.

Beer seized in Philly.