Thoughts about beer - Sunday Morning edition

   I think about beer, a lot. More than I drink it, I ponder it, I wonder about it and I talk about it to no one in particular and everyone in general. I research hops and styles, malts and adjuncts; I read blogs, books and watch videos. I immerse myself in the brewing process and the science of beer, albeit as an outsider looking in, I have no real wish to work in beer. I'm a better drinker than I am a creator of that which I love so dear. 

  Having said all that, I have some things that I'd like to see when it comes to my beer and the places that make it.

1. Labels - Clear and concise information. Ingredients, types of hops used and any adjuncts used in addition to the usual water, malted barley and yeast. What kind of malt? What yeast strain did they use? I know not a lot of folks care about this, but I think it can help fuel the love we have for beer when we know what's going into it. Finding out how a certain hop tastes when I drink a single hopped beer is one of my favourite things and I endeavour to educate myself further when I see something new on a label as an ingredient. To me, what goes into making great beer should be part of what we can see on every label. Nickel Brook nails it every time and that's part of what keeps me coming back for every new release. I just wanna know everything. Having said that, while I personally could give a second thought to my caloric intake when it comes to beer, that seems to be a push from some regulators and beer drinkers, so we will see where that goes. 

2. Styles - Be what you say you are. Seriously, this happens more than I'd like it too. A lot of consumers pick up new beers based on what they previously liked in terms of taste and if you call your beer a New England IPA and deliver a bitter, unfinished mess, it will turn people off in a hurry. Call your beer exactly what it is and skip the marketing mumbo-jumbo. Accuracy helps people make decisions and can bring a returning and recurring customer for life if they can trust you.

3. Consistency - The one thing the big boys of beer have going for them is that their beer tastes the same no matter where it's brewed around the world. They understand that the blandness of their most inoffensive offering may not be for everyone, but that the near perfection in delivering it every time is something to behold. I get that craft beer is about experimenting and pushing the envelope of what beer can be, but it should also be about delivering a product to your customer that they can count on. One-offs aside, a seasonal or core offering should not vary from batch to batch, nor should it be okay with people who drink it. I don't buy products from certain breweries because they have shown themselves to be less than authentic and responsible about owning their mistakes and poor brewing techniques. Beer isn't any different than any other food or drink, keep it above board and on point.

4. Be part of your community - For whatever reason, perhaps the communal nature of beer drinking itself\, we expect our local breweries to be a part of the larger community around them. Whether it is participating in events, brewing beer and donating money to causes in need or being on the right side of histroy when it comes to inclusion, diversity and equality, we seek to have our beer makers be better corporate citizens than perhaps any other business. I work in the restaurant industry and my particular brand does zero in the charity or community side of things and it affects our sales in no way at all. But we demand more of our beer and for me, that's a good thing. Now, I know not all of them really get into it, but even if it's just a surface of respectability that makes them do some good, it is a start.

5. Engage with your fans - As a big consumer of social media and an open book when it comes to my life, I get that the online world can be overwhelming at times. There are a lot of negative folks out there and to be honest, I've learned to not be bothered with what other people think of me online and the mute button works wonders for my mental health. Of course, I am not a professional writer or journalist, just a wordy drunk with a laptop and a smartphone, so I can step away much easier than a PR person for a brewery can. But they do and should encourage feedback from their customers and utilize the love their fans have for their product and premises to lift up the brand in a positive way. Some breweries have outstanding social media managers who know how to engage with the public and make them feel like they are part of something special. Having your social media personality be reflective of your breweries values is something that people notice and appreciate, doing it right can be the best soft promotion of all.

  A couple of thoughts on this Sunday afternoon while I sip away the day and wonder what my next pint will be...

Cheers.

Polk

Don't Gamble with my Beer - Quality Matters

  

  Beer shouldn't be a lottery ticket.
  I know, I know.
  Not exactly something most people think about when it comes to their beer, but when it comes to Craft Beer, it is something that continues to pop up more and more. The growing market share of our favourite beverage will not continue it's rise if breweries start to cut corners and put out sub standard beer to control costs or hit a planned release.
  The macro beer producers learned long ago that consumers demand a consistent, albeit boring, quality product that will give them exactly what is advertised. Beer that delivers the same thing whether you buy it in Toronto, Vancouver or St. John's. A Canadian or a Labatt's Blue may not be the things beer nerds like myself line up for on a Saturday morning, but the people who buy 24s of them on a regular basis are never disappointed in what they purchase. While you or I may have left these plain lagers far behind, the majority of beer drinkers still enjoy them because they are what they say they are, every time.
  I am certain that there are a few Craft breweries that could learn a lot from this kind of quality control, dedication to consistency and being prepared to admit when their product is less than optimal.
  I have had beer that contains off flavours, resembles poorly conceived home brew or generally lacks in any kind of quality control and yet still it was released to the public, even when privately you hear whispers that it would have better to sit in the tanks longer or even meet its fate in the drain on the floor.
  While the recent Flying Monkey's "Sparklechunks" debate is still running on Twitter, it is the lack of concern from some people that truly concerned me. Phrases like "I got lucky, no chunks." accompanied photos of the very good version of this beer, while other times people would lament their fate and report a clear, chunky mess of a beer that appears to be something completely different. While I am not privy to all the world, I know that if I buy your product and you tell me it is one thing, it had better be that or we have a problem.
  This is not about not liking a certain style or even a certain brewery and their take on it. It is about being honest with your consumers. I was not a fan of Collective Arts IPA No. 6 last year and talked about how it was just not balancing well together for me. Trying it a few weeks and another batch later, it was better but still had me questioning the release of the first one. Too many times I find beer that is not quite ready for prime time and whether that is a decision based on money or production is a questioned best left to be explained by those who released it.
  This industry grows every year but people will not suffer sub-standard fare for long. The hope of more market share rests on delivering a good product at a fair price on a consistent basis. $5 for a lottery ticket of a tall boy is not something I'd like to keep trying my luck at. 
  While the wild and crazy things we see in craft beer are no doubt entertaining and helping to open a world of creativity and flavour, quality must remain the watchword and in a time when anything goes, it is paramount to always keep the bar moving up when it comes to making sure every pint is on point and consistently well made.
  It falls on consumers to make the choice to support those who follow the path of good beer and fairness. Your dollars speak and when you spend them, you are showing support for what you believe in. Believe in better beer and demand nothing less than the best from what you buy.

Cheers!

Polk