Sips

I recently mentioned the tug-o-war that is going on in American craft beer at the end of the line: people buying the beer. This time around it is time for a bit on the retailers. It might not be a perfect assessment of the situation but at least it is my perceived notion.

There are two major areas that I am aware of to this point:

1. Larger retailers (chains) getting clout over the one-off mom-and-pop shops.
2. Price gouging.

There is a chain in my area that gets every release but there are many releases that they corner the market. I have heard from someone that used to work there that they actually put pressure on the distributor, because they move so much product, to only sell certain short releases to them. This kills the fair market. This chain is usually higher on beer prices than other beer stores; strike one. This cornering of the market creates an unfair advantage for the store as customers will look to them for not only the rare beer but start using them for more of their needs; strike two. Usually the head beer guy at the store will promise people the beer, they won’t even put it on the shelves, limiting those who have exposure to the beer; strike three.

Don’t be niave to think that similar activities aren’t happening in your own area. I stay away from this liquor chain at all costs. I am too the point that certain releases are ridiculously difficult to get to begin with so why bother.

Price gouging is a shorter but sicker story. This practice centers on short releases, of course, and the price jumped up $5, $10, or more over the normal retail price. I think this is more in smaller shops (they aren’t saints either) as they are more aware of the happenings on the gray market of reselling beers for ridiculous amount. It is awesome how it is all related. I don’t know what is worse, the retailer raising prices and/or people paying the prices.

Both of these point are troubling to me. I like the small stores as they are more customer oriented rather than bottom line. They get to know you and you know the people will be there for a long time. There will be more goofiness coming, I just hope it doesn’t drive me to drink. Enjoy!

Useless Fact: A grasshopper can leap over obstacles 500 times its own height. In relation to its size it has the greatest jumping ability of all creatures.

An American Craft Beer Tug-O-War has begun. I think it touches just about every facet of the industry: brewers, distributors, retailers, and, of course, consumers. I don’t know if I will ever touch every aspect of this topic but I want to look at it from the consumer side with retailers and maybe distributors coming another time.

The number of consumers of American craft beer is growing exponentially. It is the “official” thing to do as wine was a while back. All the hipsters have to be hip, so they need to ride on the coat tales.

I was recently talking to the beer buyer at a local store, Eric. He mentioned that he has people walk in, stating they are just getting into American craft beer and want to pick up Dark Lord, Bourbon County Brand Stout, Pliny, etc. WTF! Are you kidding me. Obviously they are clueless. This goes beyond the point that you can’t pick up Dark Lord at a retail store, that Bourbon County Brand Stout no longer sits on the shelves (because of the damn hipsters), or that Pliny isn’t even distributed to Illinois.

How do you start your craft beer endeavors with the biggest, boldest beers that are out there? That’s like saying give me Devil Dancer as my first American IPA.

Now here is the bad part, the hipsters aren’t even the bad guys here. It is the jackasses (this is how I will refer to them the rest of the way) that buy the beer for no other reason than trying to pull a profit in the second-hand market (I won’t even mention that devil of a bidding site). Since, it seems, these people just sit on their asses all day trying to figure out how to make a buck and don’t have a job, they make phone calls to any place they feel they can drive to, scouring for tips, lists, and beers that they can turn a profit.

This screws us all, even the hipsters. So even on a beer that is limited to one per person, they might travel around all afternoon, from store to store, picking up a case of bombers. This limits the amount of beer for everyone that actually wants to appreciate the beer for the reason it was made: to be drank. So the tug-o-war begins. American craft beer connoisseurs pulling the rope to get what they believe they deserve, hipsters pulling the rope to get beers that they have no idea of what they are asking, and the jackasses pulling on the rope to make sure they screw everyone to the means of their end: trying to turn a profit.

All this tugging leads us down the path of distributors and retailers restricting beer allotments further, possibly increasing margins by charging higher prices since the Internet seems to afford them quite easily. I long for the days when I could find Bourbon County Brand Stout on the shelf year round so I could get my fix anytime. Instead, now, I haven’t found the damn beer on a shelf in a year or more. Sad times.

For those of you that have played along, yes, I have broken my New Year’s resolution of not swearing in my posts. Some of these topics get me fired up. Enjoy!

Useless Fact: The deer botfly can fly faster than a jet plane. It has been clocked at a speed of 818 miles per hour. It crosses 400 yards in one second and moves 13 miles in a minute. The deer botfly flies so fast that it is almost invisible to the human eye.

Note: No matter how good the above sounds, there is no way it is true. Wikipedia on the deer botfly: "To maintain a velocity of 800 miles per hour, the 0.3-gram fly would have had to consume more than 150% of its body weight in food every second, the fly would have produced an audible sonic boom, the supersonic fly would have been invisible to the naked eye, and the impact trauma of such a fly colliding with a human body would resemble that of a gunshot wound."

Moral of the Story: Don’t believe the shit you read on the Internet.

I remember the days when Bell’s Hopslam was a beer I could never get enough of. I remember when every citrus hop bomb was a beer I sought out. I couldn’t get enough Cascade and/or Centennial in my American Craft Beer. I am not disappointed in the latest Hopslam, it just doesn’t seem to hold the same luster it used to. I want more from it.

What? How can I say that? Next I will be saying that Pliny The Elder by Russian River Brewing Company is merely an average American Imperial IPA.

I will never go that far, but…

Our senses change over time. The simple reason is this is due to age and the senses tend to dull over time; more of a certain stimulation is needed to create the same sensory response. I think the more logical is the amount of hop laden American craft beer and home brew that I consume. All of the beers I brew are usually over hopped for the single reason that I love hops.

But, I don’t think I can easily stop here as I think there is something else contributing and, quite possibly, the major factor in my shifting desire in hopped up beers: new hop varieties. Yeah, I dared to say it.

Every year new hop varieties are showing up on the market. They quickly become the rage of the industry and everyone is clamoring for them, even myself. The new, shiny ones always catch our attention. What the hell, they are new, that is just human nature.

A few years back Simcoe and Amarillo where the big new comers on the block. Simcoe with pine flavor and aroma while Amarillo with big citrus and highlighted fruit and floral profile both burst onto the scene. In the last year or two Citra has gained a lot of momentum, becoming the focus of some American craft beers which have becoming ridiculously popular. HBC 342 is in it’s infancy, as it doesn’t even have a name, but is being lauded for a citrus and watermelon profile. New Zealand is starting to bring some outstanding hops to market too. Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, and Rakau to name a few, are high on the list of home brewers as well as professionals.

All these hops have two things in common: high alpha acids and out of this world bold aromas/flavors: Nelson Sauvin is so potent that minimal amounts are needed to create grand aromas.

This hop boldness is the perfect blend for what American craft beer and home brew drinkers desire: the bolder the better in IPAs (I am at the front of the line). Tropical, fruits, wine, and other aroma/flavor combinations come through in these hops, imparting newness and shininess to these beers. Everyone is jumping on American craft beer, therefore, by association, people want to be the first to report on a new, way out hop.

Rounding back, Hopslam and Pliny are still top notch and the heads of their classes. They might seem “tamer” because of the brash new comers, nonetheless they are solid brews that will stand the test of time. Will these new hops and hopped beers do the same or will they fall to the way side as newer hop varieties continue to hit the lucrative market? I am going to be happy to be part of this hoppy ride. Enjoy!

Useless Fact: The caterpillar has more than 2,000 muscles.