This morning regular CBC Radio listeners would have heard my not-so-dulcet tones on the early side of noon for a change. A reporter for Edmonton AM noticed my post a couple weeks back analyzing why many local independent pubs were not carrying local beer on tap, and they decided to run a story on it this morning – which you can hear here.
In addition to interviewing me, they had a chat with Craig Martell, one of the owners of the Wunderbar, who are one of the biggest supporters of local beer in town. I found Craig’s comments enlightening. He makes a good point that it is not as easy as I suggest (or at least I would like it to be) to get local bars to get their customers to drink local beer. He argues that too many Edmontonians think that local beer must be sub-standard beer. He found the model that worked for them was to eliminate the non-local choices – ALL their tap lines are local. I like to joke that their import selection is from Calmar (home of Roughneck Brewing).
I am in no position to argue with Craig, as he actually runs a bar and I just sit at them. Most independent bars are unlikely to remove ALL their local taps, and so I must acknowledge that (wrong) perception might be a legitimate hurdle to more local beer.
What does this mean? It means we still have a long way to go. Part of the problem is the conservatism of local pub owners, as I lament. We cannot forget the sticky issue of inducements, also discussed elsewhere. But some of the focus needs to look at the consumers themselves. Beer drinkers in town have not yet, in any great numbers, opened themselves to the concept of local beer.
I choose to take a cup-half-full approach. I think things are changing. The response to beer education events I run always leaves me hopeful that people are increasingly interested in trying new beer. So I think it just means all of us need to keep doing more of what we are doing. The local brewers need to keep putting out high quality beer and aggressively selling it. Beer consumers need to be vocal in demanding more local options at their favourite pub. And me? Well, I guess I keep stirring the pot and keep calling as I see it, even it is only part of the story.
November 8, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Bottom line is that we are light years behind many other areas of the world – not just referring to craft beer culture, but food culture, and local/artisan culture in general. You just don’t see much of it anywhere around here, and while it is indeed growing and improving, we are still a VERY TINY minority.
For every new “craft friendly” pub or restaurant that opens, there are probably 6-10 chain restaurants popping up in the suburbs, pumping out mediocrity to the masses… such is life, I am ok with that.
I have always been somewhat of “silent protester,” in that I spend my time and money on things I feel are worthwhile, and ignore the things I don’t. I find it pathetic that a new brewpub in Regina brags about being part of the “slow food movement,” yet their beer is made from Brewhouse Kits (yes, they actually just dump a whole bunch of them into a fermenter) by someone that has never brewed before. Nothing wrong with anyone tinkering with Brewhouse kits at home, but I sure aint’ paying pub prices to drink a pint of the stuff. I haven’t set foot in the place, and I have no plans to ever do so.
November 8, 2011 at 4:25 PM
We live in a big box town…I feel a lot has to do with the financial institutions reluctance to back up small business too and the goverments dismal small business policies. Financial institutions/government do almost anything to accomodate big corporations but not enough to encourage, promote and support small independant businesses. This is where the States does a better job than we do. Therefore, it is easier for restaurantures to open a chain that try and go at it independantly, sad truth. We need to adjust the way we think in all aspects in this province. Anyway, I am sure there is way more to this than my two cents.
November 8, 2011 at 5:01 PM
I disagree with Craig, but I think it take courage to try to build a place that just offer local or craft beers. But if you look at Regina, there are two places that do not pander to the demands for swill — Bushwakkers and Beer Bros. If a city of under 200,000 people can support two such places, I am really sure Edmonton can pull it off. It just takes vision and courage. BTW, I would expand it from ‘local’ to maybe Canadian craft as it offers a wider array of selection.
November 8, 2011 at 8:43 PM
I agree that expanding it to Canadian craft is a better option – as it both increases options and supports other deserving craft brewers. That is actually my default position, but I have decided to raise the issue of local breweries for two reasons. The first is to prevent the cop-out answer of “we carry Big Rock”. While Big Rock, in my opinion, still rates as craft (I know others disagree), its size and virtual universal availability in Alberta put it in a different category than Alley Kat, Yellowhead, Wild Rose, Paddock Wood or Half Pints. They are simply not struggling to find taps in the same way all those breweries are.
Second, it is about consistency. If you proclaim your local roots and try to lure customers on that basis, then I expect some reciprocal commitment to other local businesses trying to get by. It can be a symbiosis, but when they opt for the easy catch, I get disappointed. That is what sparked the initial post.
Your points are valid and you are right that Edmonton should be able to do better. The question is how.
November 10, 2011 at 12:15 PM
I will agree and disagree regarding Big Rock being craft beer. The fact that they are ubiquitous with Traditional, Grasshopper and various seasonal’s does simply make them better at business than the next guy (and somewhat lucky too). The flip side is that they are also a publicly traded company and generate most of their revenue from Alberta Genuine Draught, Bow Valley Lager and other cheap swill products like Presidents Choice and Co-op Gold. This puts them outside of the realm of craft brewer, so a purist that goes by the complete Brewers Association of craft beer would potentially exclude them based on what the shareholder ownership of the brewery is, but there would be a definite exclusion based on the use of adjuncts for their primary revenue generating products. Light, cheap lagers.
By those standards, one brewery to look out for is Drummond as they are starting to position themselves as a craft brewery. Corn sugar will soon be eliminated from all of their recipes, rather than just their Beer Beer and Premium Lager, and they will begin to brew some more crafty specialties.
November 10, 2011 at 1:45 PM
Chris, your observation is a good one – and one that parallels mine (I didn’t want to get distracted by an explanation of my position on Big Rock). They are in a funny position. I don’t disqualify them on the basis of size – they are still dwarfed by plenty of American craft brewers. I wonder about the slippage in the quality of their flagship beer, and their focus on the discount market is concerned. However, they don’t pretend that AGD and the Coop beer are craft, so they fit the honesty bill on that front.
All in all, Big Rock is a complex case. One deserving of more thought and attention. Thanks, by the way, on the heads up about the boys at Drummond. I should give them a call.
November 16, 2011 at 1:04 PM
This discussion inspired me to write my own blog post about it. Comments welcome… 🙂
http://www.chrisheier.com/beer/the-big-rock-empire-the-grey-area-of-craft-beer/
November 16, 2011 at 6:04 PM
Chris,
I read the post. Very thoughtful. Thank you for linking it here. I find your definition intriguing. We could quibble around the edges, but I think you are spot on when you identify that Big Rock makes a point of accenting its “craft” character – and does so legitimately (unlike, say, Minhas). I am not sure we are fully resolved about their growing use of other-branded cheap beer and what that does to their status. Also, they have been rather aggressive lately at brewing “house” beer for pubs, including Original Joe’s and Hudson’s. Where does this fit? Likely a good topic for a future post – on either of our websites.
Cheers!
November 8, 2011 at 5:45 PM
I think Edmonton can support places like this. In Edmonton, Sugarbowl, Wunderbar, Next Act and many others offer and push good quality craft beer to some degree. We only serve beers by independent breweries and we’re hardly empty and unpopular, but after working in many bars that push swill, it is a lot less of a challenge. I commend anyone willing to overcome it, though.