You shouldn't have to be this guy to find out who made your beer
On my CBC column last Friday, I did something a bit out of the ordinary for me. It is something I have been contemplating for a while, and have done in little bits and snippets while discussing other topics. I decided it was time to talk openly about the growing trend toward Pseudo-Craft beer. You know what I am talking about – beer that is packaged, named and marketed to appear like a craft brew, but is really a standard lager or large-production-style beer of some sort.
In the column I decided to distinguish between craft and pseudo-craft not so much by ingredients or flavour, but by marketing. To quote myself, I define pseudo-craft beer as “beer sold in a manner to obfuscate rather than illuminate”. In other words the real origins, ingredients and style of the beer is cloaked, rather than placed upfront.
The column starts simply enough by going after one of my favourite targets – Alexander Keith’s IPA – because of their gall to sell a pale lager as an IPA is unparalleled. But I shift into an analysis of Molson’s new Six Pints division, and suggest that we may be seeing the beginning of a pseudo-craft beer war between the two big boys. That, however, remains to be seen.
The second half is a bit more interesting, in my opinion. I decided to highlight Minhas Craft Brewing and dissect some of their strategies. I won’t go into detail here, as you can listen to the column if you wish. But I use them as an example of how pseudo-craft operates. I have spoken with one of the owners, and so was careful to also provide their side of the story.
Why did I do this now? Well, to be frank my experience with Chocolate Bunny American Stout in Calgary’s Craft Beer Market was infuriating. I was very frustrated at the lengths I had to go to to figure out who brewed this beer. The origins of every other beer on their extensive selection was obvious and upfront – but this beer required the skills of Lt. Columbo. The beer itself was a mediocre example of a stout, but nothing too embarrassing. So why hide where it comes from?
Plus, I have to admit, the dishonesty of it all irritates me – as I mention in the CBC column. I value honesty in advertising and the disingenuous nature of their marketing gets to me.
Too many times in the last couple of years have friends and family come to me, freshly arrived from the liquor store, boasting of this new find they had never heard of. Upon inspection, I reluctantly inform them they have bought a knock-off craft beer. It has been these experiences that tell me something needs to be done.
No one would defend a company making Gucci knock-offs, or selling pirated videos at retail price. So why do we stay silent when certain companies pretend to be players in the craft market when their beer clearly doesn’t stand up to the scrutiny? I will do so no more. Expect more out of me on this topic in coming months.
For now, listen to the CBC column that launched it all.
September 8, 2011 at 10:51 AM
It seems to me that you are setting up a straw man by comparing what you call “pseudo-craft beer” to knock-off Gucci or pirated videos. The latter two are illegal (perhaps less so for some knock-off goods), whereas a large brewery making a beer that might appear to be from a small brewery is – at worst – dishonest. I, for one, am happy to “stay silent”, as you say. It is not as if these are conflict-diamonds.
Is there not a chance that the large breweries see an economic advantage in producing beer with flavour? Ultimately, is that not what we are interested in? I see little benefit in haranguing a large brewery if they produce a quality product. If the beer is mediocre (as you indicate for the American Stout), say so, and thereby judge the effort on its merits. Knowing the details of the brewery is fun and interesting, but the proof is in the pudding. Small breweries are perfectly capable of producing a rubbish product.
At worst, the large breweries put a beer on the market that we (that is to say, beer snobs) dislike and do not buy. Those with a “different” palate may be fooled by the marketing, but it is not the fault of the brewery that this particular type of customer can’t tell the difference.
September 8, 2011 at 4:42 PM
Isotopic,
I can see your point. While I disagree that I have created a straw-man, I can acknowledge I may be stretching the parallel a bit for rhetorical effect. Maybe comparing it to the light night tv ads for “Slam Chop”, “Shamwow!” and the like may be more appropriate.
But I think you miss my main point. I am not dissing either the big boys or other independent faux-craft beer for the quality of the product. It goes wilthout saying that Keith’s is not for me. I am questioning the validity of their marketing. My main contention is that it is inappropriate to mislead the public in the marketing of your beer.
You suggest it is not the brewery’s fault that a customer is misled. I respectfully disagree. I believe some breweries intentionally play on the likelihood that an average consumer will be ill-informed. And it is that intention to which I take exception.
If the big boys start making flavourful beer, I will commend them for it. In fact I have (search for my post/columns about Rickard’s Dark). But I am also not going to shy away from calling rat when they try to tell the public black is white (or in this case that boring is bitter).
Ultimately it is about educating consumers – which is exactly what I am attempting to do.
Thanks for the comment.
Jason
September 8, 2011 at 8:40 PM
I was almost suckered into buying a 12 pack of some mystery IPA. Thankfully, I had a quick look on a beer rating site and found it was a Minhas product masquerading as something without corn as a major fermentable. Too good to be true.
September 8, 2011 at 10:57 PM
@BG: Fair enough. I can’t say I’ve seen any of the marketing, so I’m happy to defer.
September 8, 2011 at 11:50 PM
Not entirely relevant — but I’ve been meaning to ask you if you knew that the ‘River Valley’ line of brews sold at Liquor Despot were brewed by Big Rock (at least, according to the clerk I talked to, and he called it their ‘house’ beers.) It seems to be displayed prominently, but I don’t know if they’re pushing it as craft beer since it’s in cans. I found this interesting because it was just last fall that there was some issue re this company limiting shelf space for Big Rock.
September 9, 2011 at 5:20 PM
Lisa,
You have, indeed, told me something I did not know. As I never enter a Liquor Depot unless looking for cheap cooking spirits, I did not know about River Valley beer. I will make some inquiries and get back to you (and maybe everyone if the story is interesting). Thanks for the tidbit.
September 9, 2011 at 12:04 AM
To augment Jason’s argument: most readers of this site know what an IPA is, and know what to expect when they order one. Most Labatt drinkers think an IPA is what Alexander Keith’s IPA serves.
If a Labatt drinker goes to, say, a Brewsters, and sees their Curly Horse IPA on the menu and thinks to themselves “Well, I like Alexander Keith’s IPA, therefore I’ll try this IPA” and then they walk away with “bitter beer face” and says “Brewsters makes terrible beer”, then Labatt has done everyone a disservice.
If a craft beer appreciator from another country comes to Canada, and sees Alexander Keith’s pretty much everywhere and thinks to themselves “I love IPAs, therefore I’ll try this IPA” and then they walk away with “boring lager face” and says “Canadians don’t know what IPAs are and make terrible beer”, then Labatt has done everyone a disservice.
Those of us that take the time and research what we are drinking know what is going on. Sadly and unfortunately, most people don’t and are mislead by what the big brewers tell us to expect. What is even worse is that it is expanding to the medium-sized brewers, such as what Big Rock called their “IPA”, which apparently they learned from drinking an Alexander Keith’s. Do we blame Labatt for initiating the lie, or Big Rock for perpetuating it? For myself, I’m not going to trust any product that either one of them provides as being what they say it is (unless they tell me that the flavor is “cold”), but the average consumer will take them at face value, and that is a disservice to everyone.
September 9, 2011 at 3:51 PM
I can agree with everything Ernie just mentioned!
Just the other night I was talking with a bartender at Brewsters. When I ordered the Curly horse IPA (which isn’t half bad I must say) he warned me that “it was nothing like Keiths”…I gave him a smirk and we talked beer the rest of the night- but let it be known, these bartenders are saying “Its nothing like keiths” to almost everyone and that a lot of the general public have actually sent this beer back in disgust- which is no fault of their own. They just have no idea whatsoever. Labatt HAS already done a big disservice.
So I asked how many people are surprised and order another? He told me after the whole true meaning of IPA and its origins are discussed, then the likelihood of getting another is “really good”.
Some education, and tasting is what people need. Not in your face/you know nothing attitudes, but the simple explanations that onbeer and others have done throughout the years…