I was driving by one of the better beer spots in Yakima today and saw their banner advertising that Stone was their ‘Brewery of the Month.’ It got me to thinking about one of the differences between Craft Beer drinkers and Macro Brew drinkers - brand loyalty.
Every Macro Brew drinker I know is very loyal to their go-to beer. They will drink another if theirs is not available, otherwise they stick with theirs. Even though there isn’t a nickel’s worth of difference between them IMO, but they probably have a more sensitive palate than mine - cigars will do that I’ve heard.
Not so for the Craft Brew drinker though. We pride themselves in being wide-sweeping in our beer consumption, both in terms of brewery and in terms of style. Clearly we have favorites in both, but not nearly the brand/style loyalty that one finds with Macro brew drinkers.
It’s just a curiosity that has me wondering about the implications. Seems one reason it is so easy for a start-up brewery to break into the craft beer market.
I think that craft beer drinkers as a whole definitely seek out new beers (and breweries) to sample today, because we expect and enjoy quality in our beers. But it’s a double-edged sword - while a start up brewery will definitely find plenty of beer geeks walking in the doors pretty quickly, they will leave and never come back if the brewery doesn’t deliver with good, if not great, beers. There are just too many good choices to waste $$ on a mediocre or sub par one. Darwin at his finest.
I don’t drink craft beer. I only drink nano beers. Really really super hoppy nano beers. Craft beer sucks. Nano beers that are so rare that you really have to know the brewer, they are the best.
See beer geek meets girl on YouTube to get my joke…
Very funny! Humor always has a kernel of truth to it. Craft beer is for pussies. Now I know. But I don’t know if I’m Beer Geek enough to drink Butt-plug Belgian from San Francisco.
I have no/very little brand loyalty to craft beers. As others have said there are so many interesting choices that I find myself rarely buying the same beer twice. Like all of us I have some favorite breweries but even then I don’t buy much of their beer…
We all have loyalty… it’s just based on different things. Macro drinkers are loyal and mostly focused on advertisement, but there are plenty of craft beer drinkers who are loyal to brands that I think are utter s***e ;). I hate to perpetuate the “n00b” craft beer drinker stereotype, but we all go through phases on the path to enlightenment, and when you look back at the person who is obsessed with hops, high alcohol beers, Arrogant Bastard, or that local brewery that isn’t that good, you feel the same sense of superiority. But for all I know my current zen “all beer styles are equally worthy” mindset is as shallow as anything else. I can at least tell you more about those styles than most craft beer fans.
It’s no coincidence that Stone advertises, and does so often in craft beer avenues. How do you think you get that big?
Speaking of Stone… I just had their 2013 Classic Release Imperial Russian Stout tonight. Oh my. I’ve got to brew a clone.
The only trouble is that my wine closet is already full of 4 cases of beer I’m aging. If I stack any more cases in there I’ll have no access to the wine behind it.
I’ve never been a “clone” guy. Always have wanted to fashion my own recipe, though I do wholly admit to being intrigued and inspired by other beers, breweries or brewers.
Oh that beer geek meets girl video is absolutely hilarious. Thanks for suggesting that klickitat jim! There is some truth buried in there for sure. I agree on being inspired by versus cloning, just as long as it’s not the Belgian sour with splash of lime that was mentioned in the video.
I would say that I do have some brand loyalty in Craft as there are certain breweries I will consistently buy because their beers are just so damn good but I am always searching out new things to try as well since there are so many new beers hitting the markets. My big thing is using commercial brands representative of a style I am looking to brew as research. I always consider my trips to Binny’s as R&D ;D
I don’t have brand loyalty, but I do have defaults.
As for brewing, I’ve never brewed a clone. I like to say my beers are “inspired by” something; either a particular beer or a style. I suppose one could say that’s being lazy and maybe I’m just not good enough to duplicate another’s beer. Perhaps, but I’ve truly never been interested in duplicating another’s beer, since I can just buy that beer.
I have started out with a clone recipe created by someone else but have never actually brewed a clone of a beer. the recipe is a guide to start the process. Ingredient selection and brewing process are all mine. The beers I make are good beer but not like anyone else makes.
If loyalty means lockstep support for every beer a brewery produces then no, I don’t have any brand loyalty. (Maybe one.) However, I do have many breweries that I drink on a regular basis, when I buy beer, and trust that their beers will be good every time. Sometimes the beers aren’t my preference but the brewery has proven itself enough that I’m not sworn off their new beers.
I was debating in my head about a response, now I find myself wondering if your admonition here was ironic in light of the Beer Geek video… If so, it is very droll. Hat tip to you Jim, you do have an excellent sense of humor.