Article in todays Observer

Technocentral

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/aug/21/us-craft-beers-take-off


Things seem to be changing in terms of disillusionment with bog standard industrial beers, I wonder if Tescos over here will also start carrying, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada etc.

JnarF

"Tesco is launching four of the most popular – Blue Moon, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Brooklyn – at 750 stores across the UK"

Ahhh.. When did all these become "craft lagers" ???

Technocentral

JnarF wrote: »

"Tesco is launching four of the most popular – Blue Moon, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Brooklyn – at 750 stores across the UK"

Ahhh.. When did all these become "craft lagers" ???

I agree they're not craft beers per se but a damn sight better (apart from Blue Moon) than the usual industrial fare.

johnnyskeleton

Technocentral wrote: »

I agree they're not craft beers per se but a damn sigth better (apart from Blue Moon) than the usual industrial fare.

Why all the ragging on blue moon? Sure, it's not the nicest beer ever, but they're at least trying something a bit different.

Technocentral

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Why all the ragging on blue moon? Sure, it's not the nicest beer ever, but they're at least trying something a bit different.

Fair enough.

the beer revolu

Ahhh.. When did all these become "craft lagers" ???

I think the issue here is the use of the word 'lager' rather than the word 'craft'.

JnarF

the beer revolu wrote: »

I think the issue here is the use of the word 'lager' rather than the word 'craft'.

A little from column A and a little from column B!!

Zebra3

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Why all the ragging on blue moon? Sure, it's not the nicest beer ever, but they're at least trying something a bit different.

It may be nice to some (I think it's average), but I wouldn't have a beer owned by Coors down as "craft".

Technocentral

the beer revolu wrote: »

I think the issue here is the use of the word 'lager' rather than the word 'craft'.

The reason I posted it was I thought that lovers of decent beers on this forum would be interested that sales of non mainstream beers were going up forget about the terminology.

johnnyskeleton

Zebra3 wrote: »

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Why all the ragging on blue moon? Sure, it's not the nicest beer ever, but they're at least trying something a bit different.

It may be nice to some (I think it's average), but I wouldn't have a beer owned by Coors down as "craft".

Can a large firm not produce a small run craft beer using craft beer methods?

If the people behind blue moon were independent brewers until they were taken over by coors, at what point did they cease to e a craft beer, assuming they maintained the same processes?

Zebra3

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

If the people behind blue moon were independent brewers until they were taken over by coors, at what point did they cease to e a craft beer, assuming they maintained the same processes?

The day they sold out.

johnnyskeleton

Zebra3 wrote: »

The day they sold out.

Right. So the prejudice is nothing to do with the taste, the technique, the ingredients or the overall product, but simply because a big firm makes a profit out of it?

OK, it is highly commendable that there are a lot of small time producers trying to get in on the market, but the reality is that some of the best drinks in the world are made by the big firms, because they have the time and the money to invest in them.

Brian CivilEng

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

If the people behind blue moon were independent brewers until they were taken over by coors, at what point did they cease to e a craft beer, assuming they maintained the same processes?

Blue Moon was never an independent brewery. The Blue Moon Brewing Co is just a brand name that Coors came up with so as to not associate the beer with other Coors products.

Coors own a microbrewery in the Coors Field baseball stadium, the original Blue Moon recipe came out of this brewery. However once it went mainstream Blue Moon has always been brewed in their macro breweries.

I have no problem with Blue Moon if it provides a bit more choice in pubs. I'm not a fan though.

irish_goat

I really, really hope Tesco start selling Sierra Nevada and Goose Island etc cause it's far too expensive to buy in Maynooth otherwise.

"Craft beer" or not, Blue Moon is still stinkin.

Peanut

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Right. So the prejudice is nothing to do with the taste, the technique, the ingredients or the overall product, but simply because a big firm makes a profit out of it?

OK, it is highly commendable that there are a lot of small time producers trying to get in on the market, but the reality is that some of the best drinks in the world are made by the big firms, because they have the time and the money to invest in them.

I remember being in a town in Derbyshire a few years back and you could get some kind of special ale brewed by Bass for the local market. Damn that stuff was awesome.

johnnyskeleton

abitofacomedian wrote: »

Blue Moon was never an independent brewery. The Blue Moon Brewing Co is just a brand name that Coors came up with so as to not associate the beer with other Coors products.

Coors own a microbrewery in the Coors Field baseball stadium, the original Blue Moon recipe came out of this brewery. However once it went mainstream Blue Moon has always been brewed in their macro breweries.

The point being, if they were an independent brewery. There is an element whereby craft beers being produced by smaller brewers are presumed to be better, much like organic food by small farmers. But surely large scale operations can make just as good if not better stuff if they apply the same methods?

abitofacomedian wrote: »

I have no problem with Blue Moon if it provides a bit more choice in pubs. I'm not a fan though.

Each to their own, based on taste. But I'm not sure it should be dismissed because it is owned by Coors.

oblivious

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Why all the ragging on blue moon? Sure, it's not the nicest beer ever, but they're at least trying something a bit different.

Simply put Coors are been very lazy and making a spice slapper of a beer, they dont bother with a decent Beligan yeast and "try" to make up the flavor profile with orange peel and spice.

Its Just pure lazy,there are plenty of american wheat beer out and could have easily called it an Anerican Wit or white, but the wanted the quality mark of calling or suggest its from the same pedigree as other beligan beers which its not in any shape.

Confederation of Belgian Breweries have fave forced them to change it "Blue Moon is a 'Belgian-Style' beer and not an authentic Belgian beer.

As for goose-island was bought out by AB InBev, but they intend to still run it was a craft brewery

Technocentral

Like most people I'd rather support a small business (irish if possible) than a multinational but at the end of the day its about quality and flavour, if Heineken, Carlsberg and Coors had beers in pubs as good as Brooklyn, O' Haras, Sierra Nevada, Brewdog, Galway Hooker, Porterhouse etc I'd be drinking them but they don't. I love Guinness Foreign Extra for instance and thats made by a multinational.

the beer revolu

Technocentral wrote: »

I love Guinness Foreign Extra for instance and thats made by a multinational.

Yes but they don't masquerade behind a fictitious 'Craft Brewery'.

munchkin_utd

irish_goat wrote: »

"Craft beer" or not, Blue Moon is still stinkin.

Do they really serve with a slice of orange as in the guardian picture?

Any beer that needs a sirup or bit of fruit or other gimmick to be considered palatable has failed before its even started.

oblivious

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Any beer that needs a sirup or bit of fruit or other gimmick to be considered palatable has failed before its even started.

Never tried a German berliner weisse then ?

Bigcheeze

oblivious wrote: »

Simply put Coors are been very lazy and making a spice slapper of a beer, they dont bother with a decent Beligan yeast and "try" to make up the flavor profile with orange peel and spice.

Maybe so but it tastes better than Hoegaarden.

oblivious wrote: »

Confederation of Belgian Breweries have fave forced them to change it "Blue Moon is a 'Belgian-Style' beer and not an authentic Belgian beer.

Groups like that are just out to protect vested interests and stifle innovation.

irish_goat

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Do they really serve with a slice of orange as in the guardian picture?

Any beer that needs a sirup or bit of fruit or other gimmick to be considered palatable has failed before its even started.

It's done in some places but you'd probably find that most bars don't stock oranges simply because they never normally need them.

Oils from citrus fruits normally kill the head, can't stand it when bartenders put lemon or lime into a Hoegaarden without asking.

thelynchfella

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Maybe so but it tastes better than Hoegaarden

Much prefare Hoegaarden over Bluemoon. Hoegaarden's a pretty decent wit.

Black Sheep

Speaking of Hoegaarden - isn't it owned by Anheuser Busch?

To be honest I don't think Blue Moon (or Hoegaarden for that matter) are 'terrible' beers. I'm not a fan of either, or the style in general, but as drinks they have their adherents. I think the question is whether or not there is a genuine issue around whether or not Molson Coors are somehow 'misrepresenting' the product in order to penetrate the craft beer market under false pretences. TBH I have no strongly held opinion on that.

Blue Moon probably does act as a 'gateway' for a certain amount of drinkers into trying other wit style beers, which are independently brewed. In the U.S, at least, where it appears more ubiquitous.

Bigcheeze

Black Sheep wrote: »

Speaking of Hoegaarden - isn't it owned by Anheuser Busch?

Think it's part of Heineken.

Black Sheep wrote: »

I think the question is whether or not there is a genuine issue around whether or not Molson Coors are somehow 'misrepresenting' the product in order to penetrate the craft beer market under false pretences. TBH I have no strongly held opinion on that.

Me neither. I don't care who describes their products as "craft"

Bigcheeze

thelynchfella wrote: »

Much prefare Hoegaarden over Bluemoon. Hoegaarden's a pretty decent wit.

I'm happy to drink it too but I prefer the fuller flavour and body of blue moon.

BeerNut

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Think it's part of Heineken.

Nope, A-B InBev.

thelynchfella

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Think it's part of Heineken.

A-B Inbev




edit....should have read the rest of the thread, I was beaten to it!!!!:-)

thelynchfella

Bigcheeze wrote: »

I'm happy to drink it too but I prefer the fuller flavour and body of blue moon.

I felt you were knocking hoegaarden in your previous post thats why i replied. For some reason I tend to always stick up for Hoegaarden. I feel it gets unfairly knocked too often. It was the 1st non lager beer I ever had when i was about 20 and opened my eyes to the fact there was other styles out there. Although I much prefare stouts and American IPAs, Hoegaarden has a place close to my heart I must admit! Regarding Blue Moon, it's rebadged as a different beer where I live and as wits go, it's just not for me!!

LaBaguette

the beer revolu wrote: »

I think the issue here is the use of the word 'lager' rather than the word 'craft'.

That's the first thing that struck me when I read this article. They could at least have gotten the terminology right

re : Blue Moon, i'm not sure what to think of it. On the one hand, their branding plot is really lame and they are clearly trying to hop on the current trend. And when I found out who brewed it, I felt slightly cheated.

On the other hand, it's a good summer beer, not very subtle but still enjoyable. And I do believe that beer should not be limited to Reinheitsgebot-approved stuff. Spices, fruits and other unusual ingredients can create a great, original beer.

Ultimately, this article is about "big brands starting to realize that some people are sick of the usual watery lagery crap". Somehow, Coors brewing Blue Moon is a small step towards a wider availabiliy of nice beers. And yes, I can clearly see it being a "gateway beer" - if 1 out of 10 drinkers of Blue Moon ends up falling in love with microbrews, then it's a good thing.

pa990

its a move in the right direction.

I'm known for drinking funny or strange beers when out.

The more funny beers the better i say







(in moderation of course:D)