I heard a great story the other day. I had some business to attend to at the Sugar Bowl in Edmonton. And while we were talking I noticed that Wild Rose Alberta Crude Oatmeal Stout was on tap. I knew that it had earned temporary tap while I was in Halifax. That was good news, but it was only temporary. I half expected it to be gone by the time I was back – which would have been a sad thing since I think it is a lovely stout.

So I asked about it. I was told that it was selling really well, and so they decided to make it permanent. That is great news. But it gets better.

Two weeks ago they decided to drop Guinness, a long-time tap offering at their cafe. Their reason? Wild Rose was selling better and they thought that the two beer were just fighting each other. So they dropped the big boy because the little guy was beating it.

Nice!

I like this story for two reasons. First, it speaks volumes about the quality of the Sugar Bowl’s patrons (and its management, to be honest). When given a choice, they opted for the local version, which, in my opinion, is both fuller and tastier. Brand loyalty meant less than quality loyalty. And how rare is that in Canada?

But I think it speaks to something broader than just Alberta Crude vs. Guinness. Most of the beer market is about familiarity and trustworthiness. People gravitate to what they know. Guinness is the perfect example of a reliable brand. You know EXACTLY what you are getting from a pint of Guinness, and you can trust that it will be good. (Guinness is not a bad beer by any means. I am still quite comfortable ordering a pint of it when in the mood.) As a result it dominates its segment of the market.

Yet here is the fun part. Increasingly these days when a beer drinker is exposed to something new, and it finds a way to surpass the quality of the beer they know, they are willing to shift. That is what happened at the Sugar Bowl. They have a certain proportion of their clientele that are stout drinkers. In the past that meant they want their Guinness and would accept no alternatives. However, with a bit of prodding and maybe a free sample or two, they come to realize that other stout actually tastes better. And so the next time they stop by for a pint, they order the upstart rather than the old reliable. And before you know it, Guinness is getting axed and the upstart is the new stout champion.

A feel-good story worthy of a Rocky sequel.

This isn’t the first time this has happened at the Sugar Bowl. When the cask nights started a little over a year ago, the Sugar Bowl agreed to put Alley Kat’s Full Moon Pale Ale on tap for a month, to help promote the cask. Lo and behold they sold so much of it in that month that they realized they couldn’t take it off. It is now a permanent feature, much like Alberta Crude.

I realize this won’t happen at most bars – Sugar Bowl has a particular reputation that allows for more experimentation. Still, it makes me think that if more pub owners gave local craft brewers a chance, they would be pleasantly surprised at how well it sold. Most are too conservative and too blinkered by short term inducements to see the potential here. Hopefully that will change.

But for now I am pleased as Punch that I get to drink Alberta Crude anytime I want. I have bugged the Wild Rose folks for years to bring it to Edmonton. And now it is here. Plus I get the bonus of knowing it pushed out a multi-national corporation beer! Now that makes a pint go down smoothly.