tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post2302009591265341578..comments2024-03-28T17:11:52.333+00:00Comments on The Pub Curmudgeon: Have we reached Peak Craft?Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-74597608028642411022019-12-05T12:14:13.213+00:002019-12-05T12:14:13.213+00:00The current Good Beer Guide includes, for Stockpor...The current <i>Good Beer Guide</i> includes, for Stockport town centre, six family brewer pubs - five Robinson's and one Sam Smith's. But there is still a tendency to get over-excited about new breweries and micropubs.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-19199077962187224482019-12-03T09:52:30.057+00:002019-12-03T09:52:30.057+00:00I think the reason the headroom for growth isn'...I think the reason the headroom for growth isn't there any more is that the 'indie' phase of craft beer is basically over - with the sole exception of BrewDog, all the craft 'stars' have been wholly or partially taken over & become brands. For some that's job done - craft beer was all about giving ordinary drinkers a choice of more flavourful beers, and who cares whether those beers are making money for Bert in his shed or for AB-InBev? For anyone who thinks real choice means a choice of providers, though, 'craft' doesn't really mean anything any more.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07009879034507926661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-46325659674321060792019-12-02T19:12:24.036+00:002019-12-02T19:12:24.036+00:00Agree with that Paul. Heralding the 2,000 brewery ...Agree with that Paul. Heralding the 2,000 brewery is like heralding the 30 pumps at the Fat Cat, quantity over quality. Look at virtually any CAMRA magazine and it's all about new beers, more handpumps, new breweries.<br /><br />Stockport still shows an interest in highlighting beer quality in pubs run by family brewers, thankfully. retiredmartinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15429804437739227082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-58752654756832988522019-12-02T16:56:52.674+00:002019-12-02T16:56:52.674+00:00For 'craft' to die, then those who drink i...For 'craft' to die, then those who drink it need to return to another product. Back to mainstream lager? Doubtful. Back to cask? More likely but I can't see too much evidence of it happening. The reality will probably be no different to any other 'new' industry, the weak players who are inconsistent or inefficient will disappear leaving a rump of breweries offering a core range to sit on most bars alongside lager.<br /><br />The likes of Gamma Ray have spread well beyond their North London hipster roots, I'm pretty sure I've had one in my home town of Burnley which must be a reasonable acid test that it has appeal other than just novelty.The Dangermannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-78213834467881536252019-12-02T14:59:22.786+00:002019-12-02T14:59:22.786+00:00Those that have studied any sort of business cours...Those that have studied any sort of business course may be aware of the boston matrix or growth share matrix or dog star or even the term cash cow. It's a marketing diagram I once remembered so I could draw it in an exam, but it's googlable. Churn out what you're told, get a mark, get a degree.<br /><br />Products have a lifespan and at any point sit in one of 4 quadrants. Craft is moving / moved to cash cow which basically means it now just the premium end of beer. What it tells you is to keep a look out for next question mark that becomes a star. That's what's to pile in with your retirement money, not craft.<br /><br /><br />Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-71676842051196294762019-12-02T13:47:40.851+00:002019-12-02T13:47:40.851+00:00CAMRA’s unqualified acceptance that every new brew...CAMRA’s unqualified acceptance that every new brewery that comes on the scene, is something to be applauded, hasn’t exactly helped matters. Unlike many of their more astute members, the powers that be within CAMRA don’t seem to have realised that market saturation was reached long ago.<br /><br />Blindly showing support for all new breweries, irrespective of quality, is just making a bad situation worse. In my view, “peak craft” was reached several years ago.<br />Paul Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09678639237696546268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-24764949064301018262019-12-02T06:11:21.936+00:002019-12-02T06:11:21.936+00:00Flavoured stouts and porters existed before the cu...Flavoured stouts and porters existed before the current 'craft' blip and will carry on long after it subsides. Not just dark beers either, dumping all sorts of fruit, spices, herbs and more info lighter beers has always happened. The only difference is the ridiculously high proportion of so called craft beers relying on it, coaxing interesting flavours out of malts an unknown skill to many.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02750972338823778879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-38008205785308397052019-12-01T18:43:19.815+00:002019-12-01T18:43:19.815+00:00Camden Hells is as tasteless and boring as Stella ...Camden Hells is as tasteless and boring as Stella or Fosters. Punk IPA has a great flavour and is a welcome newcomer. Give me Carlsberg Special over them any day though.Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-14968668910262986872019-12-01T15:12:20.666+00:002019-12-01T15:12:20.666+00:00Craft as a thing is a fad, and like most fads, it&...Craft as a thing is a fad, and like most fads, it'll fade, leaving its stamp on the worldwide beer market in the form of orange juice-looking IPA and flavoured stouts and porters. Certainly in the UK, not sure about elsewhere, there are too many 'craft' breweries churning out too much beer, plenty of it substandard. The market will eventually deal with many of them, leaving those that can produce decent, consistent products. You know, like most established breweries have always done. The multinationals will also lose interest once the fad dies away, removing the exit plan for some of the larger crafties.electricpicshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09144970068645280352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-83080323230668245832019-12-01T14:24:07.689+00:002019-12-01T14:24:07.689+00:00Craft may wither and die, but The Bitter will endu...Craft may wither and die, but The Bitter will endure...Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-32765687657876541422019-12-01T13:44:52.185+00:002019-12-01T13:44:52.185+00:00Craft will never die. It is an idea, a dream, a ho...Craft will never die. It is an idea, a dream, a hope, an ephemeral whisper in the wind. So long as people carry the torch, the flame will never be extinguished.Cooking Lagerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02830924433230427226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5623537812609722663.post-67378575562936806982019-12-01T12:48:25.814+00:002019-12-01T12:48:25.814+00:00There's no chance of IPA displacing lager. As ...There's no chance of IPA displacing lager. As you point out, lager has dominated the world,and it's still the drink of choice for most. Again, as you say, "Craft" is hard to define, and I think that as an idea it will disappear. Punk IPA will (has?) become the Carling of hoppy keg beer, and the others will imitate it.stymasterhttps://www.piglet-net.net/pigblog/noreply@blogger.com