Comments on: Craft Beer And The Recession and Sam Adams No Longer Qualifies As A Craft Brand? http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/ Dedicated to the art, complexity, and business of beer... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:23:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Lew Bryson http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-370 Lew Bryson Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:29:49 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/#comment-370 "I agree that the terms need to be changed due to the growth of the industry and that it seems a bit foolish for a brewery’s success to have a penalizing effect." Been saying this for years; "craft brewery," and before that, "microbrewery," definitely have a cachet that resonates with the typical and even not-so-typical consumer of these beers. Why punish a brewery like Sierra Nevada or Boston Beer by taking that away just because they succeed? I like Boston Beer's "founded as a craft brewery" addition. Why not? It's a hazy, contrived definition at best anyway. “I agree that the terms need to be changed due to the growth of the industry and that it seems a bit foolish for a brewery’s success to have a penalizing effect.”

Been saying this for years; “craft brewery,” and before that, “microbrewery,” definitely have a cachet that resonates with the typical and even not-so-typical consumer of these beers. Why punish a brewery like Sierra Nevada or Boston Beer by taking that away just because they succeed? I like Boston Beer’s “founded as a craft brewery” addition. Why not? It’s a hazy, contrived definition at best anyway.

]]> By: jesskidden http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-364 jesskidden Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:01:04 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/#comment-364 re: Zamboni Driver's comment- My "suggestion" of "National Craft Brewery" is based on the old, pre-craft era terminology that had breweries roughly broken down, by total barrelage, into "National" "Regional" and "Local" breweries. Today, especially among the craft brands, the production figures no longer have any relationship with distribution. BUT, since the Brewers Association clings to the now-anachronistic "Regional" terminology for 15,000-2,000,000 bbl. brewers, I see no reason why *they* couldn't use "national" in the same sense. I kinda liked the 1980's era (just as the craft breweries started to take off)industry terminology of "First Tier" "Second Tier" and "Third Tier" which totally eliminate any suggest of size=distribution area. re: Zamboni Driver’s comment- My “suggestion” of “National Craft Brewery” is based on the old, pre-craft era terminology that had breweries roughly broken down, by total barrelage, into “National” “Regional” and “Local” breweries. Today, especially among the craft brands, the production figures no longer have any relationship with distribution.

BUT, since the Brewers Association clings to the now-anachronistic “Regional” terminology for 15,000-2,000,000 bbl. brewers, I see no reason why *they* couldn’t use “national” in the same sense.

I kinda liked the 1980′s era (just as the craft breweries started to take off)industry terminology of “First Tier” “Second Tier” and “Third Tier” which totally eliminate any suggest of size=distribution area.

]]> By: Andy http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-363 Andy Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:48:13 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/#comment-363 I agree that the terms need to be changed due to the growth of the industry and that it seems a bit foolish for a brewery's success to have a penalizing effect. Beyond pure numbers, it would be difficult to start assigning criteria for labels such as a "national craft brewery" or brand. While Anchor has very wide distribution, it only produces around 75-90k barrels a year with little to no growth. Compare that to New Belgium, which is in less than half of all states with about 5 times the production. As to Blue Moon, I think the Brewers Association would have some problems adding the brand to its numbers, despite the huge bump it would give them... I agree that the terms need to be changed due to the growth of the industry and that it seems a bit foolish for a brewery’s success to have a penalizing effect. Beyond pure numbers, it would be difficult to start assigning criteria for labels such as a “national craft brewery” or brand. While Anchor has very wide distribution, it only produces around 75-90k barrels a year with little to no growth. Compare that to New Belgium, which is in less than half of all states with about 5 times the production. As to Blue Moon, I think the Brewers Association would have some problems adding the brand to its numbers, despite the huge bump it would give them…

]]> By: Zamboni Driver http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-362 Zamboni Driver Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:42:40 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/#comment-362 In addition to Boston Beer Company, would not sierra Nevada and perhaps Anchor Brewing also fall under a "national craft beer" category. All three are largely available coast to coast, far outside their original "regions." Similarly, Coors' Blue Moon line would probably also qualify. Can anyone thing of others? In addition to Boston Beer Company, would not sierra Nevada and perhaps Anchor Brewing also fall under a
“national craft beer” category. All three are largely available coast to coast, far outside their original “regions.” Similarly, Coors’ Blue Moon line would probably also qualify. Can anyone thing of others?

]]> By: jesskidden http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/comment-page-1/#comment-361 jesskidden Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:47:53 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/02/12/craft-beer-and-the-recession-and-sam-adams-no-longer-qualifies-as-a-craft-brand/#comment-361 I'm not crazy about the Brewers Associations definitions to begin with but it seems to me they can just make a "new" catagory for BBC, now that it's outgrown "regional"- a "National Craft Brewery". "Regional" is a term that just doesn't apply in the current industry, anyway- it's a left over from the pre-craft era. There are many breweries in their "15k-2m bbl" range with distribution far beyond what any one would call "regional". Also, it never really made much sense to say "small" meant anything from an under 1000 barrel brewpub up to 2,000,000 barrels from BBC (and their "macro" contractors). I’m not crazy about the Brewers Associations definitions to begin with but it seems to me they can just make a “new” catagory for BBC, now that it’s outgrown “regional”- a “National Craft Brewery”.

“Regional” is a term that just doesn’t apply in the current industry, anyway- it’s a left over from the pre-craft era. There are many breweries in their “15k-2m bbl” range with distribution far beyond what any one would call “regional”. Also, it never really made much sense to say “small” meant anything from an under 1000 barrel brewpub up to 2,000,000 barrels from BBC (and their “macro” contractors).

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