Monday, August 11, 2014

If you're gonna open a craft brewery, should you go 'big' or 'stay safe'?

A new microbrewery opened up last weekend. With great curiosity and anticipation, I went to the opening with some friends.

I came away with the following observations:

While in a dedicated "light-industrial" zoned area, they had decent visibility and accessibility to some new sports venues. Signage was below a visible sight-line and hidden by a big-ass bush. Inside, airy and really nice stainless steel equipment. Awesome looking tasting bar, thanks to Kickstarter. Beer was...average.

Full disclosure - I want every micro in Ottawa to succeed. In fact, I want Ottawa to be the Burlington, VT of the North. That's not going to happen if new micros open up and say they'll push boundaries and not live up to that mantra.

The reason why people (some, not all) choose 'craft beer', is because 1) they want to support local, or 2) they are fed up with the macro offerings or 3) they want something different from the norm or 4) look cool in front of their friends, or 5) want a new drinking experience, or 6) a combination of any of these points.

I would argue that the most successful micro-breweries in the U.S. and in Canada are the ones who have made their mark by brewing unique, original, artistic, uncompromising beer. (Stone/Rogue/Alchemist/Hillstead Farms/DogFish) and I will gladly put Beau's and BTP in the local category.

Did these breweries introduce 'gateway' beers? Some, not all. One could argue that Beyond the Pale used Pink Fuzz as their gateway beer, but I would say it still had that edge. Same with Beaus's with LugTread - but again, many commercial beer drinkers don't normally grab a Kolsch or a grapefruit wheat ale off the shelf. Are all of Beau's or BTP's beers home runs? Certainly not, but hey, that's what makes being a microbrewer so enticing.

My point I guess is this: if you want to make safe, accessible beer, that is your prerogative. In fact, it may even be the safest move you can make to get those initial sales up in your first quarter of business and make your investors happy. But for my money, make a beer that I've never had, and make me wish how I have lived this long without that beer in my life! (okay, a little dramatic, but you get my drift?).

The Alchemist makes a few limited release beers, but they are most known for Heady Topper. Love it or hate it, they sell out and it truly is one of the best DIPA's out there. Have they segregated a large portion of a potential beer buying demographic? Very likely, yes. But their following is loyal and dare I say cult-like. I'd take that any day.

I make beer that I enjoy. Sometimes it's a big double IPA, or a oak/vanilla bean Stout. Maybe it's a SMaSH beer using a little-known hop, or a porter that pushes the boundaries of ingredients that ends up being quite possibly the best tasting beer I've ever drank (and made in collaboration no doubt).

All this to say - if you're gonna make craft beer, please by the gods of the old and the new, stand out from the norm, grow some balls, be adventurous, treat it like an an original oil painting and not a paint-by-numbers, and have it reflect who YOU are, not want you think people want.

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