It's More Than A Feeling

It is my personal opinion that bier and music are related.

When I was young and foolish I would waste my time on Napster downloading single songs of questionable quality, only to find my music library a mish-mash of one hit wonders that lacked any form of continuity. Now that I am older and have more man-strength I rarely listen to just one song. I barely even use the "random" setting anymore. Now I crave albums. I understand that the best songs come from the best albums, and in order to fully appreciate the song, it helps to understand the context behind it. I am better able to appreciate the song and thusly the artist as I become more informed about their inspirations, who they looked up to and what statement they're trying to make. Don't get me wrong, one-hit-wonders have their place, but the depth of meaning that is borne from a masterful album is what makes great artists great. It is about staying power, obvious growth that can be followed and cherished from album to album, without losing the core of the artist's musical identity.

This all has a parallel in the brewing industry, I think.

Gone are the days when bier was just what you found inside the bottle. The brewery that continually produces great biers, that lets people in on the company's passions, that is unafraid to experiment creatively without ditching the core of their identity/image is the one whose new biers I long to try. If you look closely, you will see a common theme among breweries that are more dynamic than the old let's-just-make-a-flagship-and-see-how-much-we-can-sell approach. There are seasonals, casked products, nitro-versions, specially-hopped and other experimentals that are the nine other great songs that compliment the flagship bier that you hear on the radio ALL THE TIME. Here is the really funny thing about those flagship products: THEY ARE ALMOST ALL AMBERS. So just like the pop hits that sound the same, these all start to look the same and some even taste the same.

There is a type of bier consumer, particularly in the craft bier market, that desires more from their bier than just taste.

I don't know about you, but since I started to actually think about what is inside the bottle I've begun inspecting what is on the outside. What makes your bier significant? And don't even claim to me that you have the freshest ingredients; that statement is to the point that if a brewery doesn't claim extreme freshness I begin to worry. The word "fresh" has little to no meaning in the bier industry anymore. Why the hell should I put this to my lips? What inspired this example of IPA, stout, cream ale, etc.? What have you done to make it your own? Is your brewery interesting enough for me to trust you the next time you come up with an experimental? It is great to have a bier guy at your store to challenge customers with new products from classic breweries as well as from obscure ones, but is that enough to get me to buy it? Often what I need to hear is the opinion of another person like myself who is shelling out their own hard-earned currency that has tried the bier before. If you paid for it, you're much more likely to remember it. The personal invitation is a disarmed, trustable opinion from the one person involved your bier's whole world who isn't trying to get your money- the fellow consumer.

The world needs word-of-mouth marketing and the music and brewing industries are no exception. But the staying power that is earned by bands and breweries comes from their followers feeling like they have been "let in on the action." I like the kind of performer who isn't afraid to let me in on what makes them tick and what sets them off. Should it be any other way with breweries? Sure you could just sit back and watch the money come in from the sales of your flagship, but those will eventually wane if you don't give people another reason to buy your bier. Eventually the majority of folks will have tried it, and don't tell me that you intend for them to drink your one bier and only it for the rest of their lives. That is an insult to all consumers. Think about the number of nerve endings in your mouth. DO NOT DENY THEM THE PLEASURE OF SOMETHING NEW!

My favorite breweries like New Belgium, Stone, Pike, Deschutes and Rogue all have won me over because I can see their inspiration, and I find it as refreshing as their bier. I challenge you dear reader- think about why you drink what you drink. Our society has become interested in researching what we buy so that we can make informed decisions about who to buy from. I'm not going to tell you what to drink. Drink what you like. It is when you decide to branch out and try something new, that's when you're left to wonder which of these winter ales you should buy. Of course, you can always ask me. If I haven't heard of it before, I'd be more than happy to branch out on one of your six. Or twelve.

Prost!