The Beer Thread

[James Ford]

How many states is Lunch distributed to? Maybe some of the panelists simply haven't had it. That would explain the lack of anything by Hill Farmstead as well.

Granted, Alpine doesn't get much distribution either, but perhaps more of the panelists live in Southern California than New Engalnd.

What?   No Maine Beer Co "Lunch"?  Say it ain't so!

[sweetcell]

in the on-going east vs. west coast IPA debate:

Harpoon Lays Claim to ?New England-Style? IPA

For 20 years, Harpoon?s flagship IPA didn?t needed another moniker.

Throughout New England, the beer is known by most beer drinkers simply as IPA. But the IPA, having emerged as the most popular style in craft beer, according to IRI, has also become somewhat synonymous with extreme, hoppy, and bitter taste ? what?s often called a ?West Coast Style IPA.?

And with an avalanche of new craft offerings flooding the market, brewery co-founder Rich Doyle decided it was time for a definition.

So, in an attempt to help call attention to their own IPA offering, Harpoon said it will begin marketing the brand as a ?New England-style IPA.?

?Twenty years later, the forest has grown up around us,? Doyle said ?It?s a really important now to start allowing people to know why one IPA might be different than another.?

While many consumers may share a voracious appetite for palate-numbing brews, others will continue to seek a more balanced offering, like Harpoon?s, Doyle said.

?We just thought we could add to the discussion and help consumers navigate between IPAs,? said Doyle.

Harpoon plans to deploy the new definition across its website, social media messages, press releases and will even begin printing the phrase on some of its point-of-sale materials.

During a live webcast with co-founder Daniel Kenary, Doyle explained what differentiates that ?New England-style IPA? from its West Coast counterpart. Doyle described a New England-style IPA as a harmonious balance of ingredients, characterized by no single flavor prevailing above the rest. That, he says, is a departure from many of the more hop-forward offerings dominating today?s tap handles.

cont.: http://www.brewbound.com/news/harpoon-lays-claim-to-new-england-style-ipa


"New England-style IPA as a harmonious balance of ingredients, characterized by no single flavor prevailing above the rest" is a a fanciful description.  funny how every beer, it seems, describes itself as "balanced".  by definition an IPA is not balanced.  event east coast and english IPAs aren't balanced, they're supposed to leave strongly towards the hops.

[atomic]

in the on-going east vs. west coast IPA debate:

Harpoon Lays Claim to ?New England-Style? IPA

For 20 years, Harpoon?s flagship IPA didn?t needed another moniker.

Throughout New England, the beer is known by most beer drinkers simply as IPA. But the IPA, having emerged as the most popular style in craft beer, according to IRI, has also become somewhat synonymous with extreme, hoppy, and bitter taste ? what?s often called a ?West Coast Style IPA.?

And with an avalanche of new craft offerings flooding the market, brewery co-founder Rich Doyle decided it was time for a definition.

So, in an attempt to help call attention to their own IPA offering, Harpoon said it will begin marketing the brand as a ?New England-style IPA.?

?Twenty years later, the forest has grown up around us,? Doyle said ?It?s a really important now to start allowing people to know why one IPA might be different than another.?

While many consumers may share a voracious appetite for palate-numbing brews, others will continue to seek a more balanced offering, like Harpoon?s, Doyle said.

?We just thought we could add to the discussion and help consumers navigate between IPAs,? said Doyle.

Harpoon plans to deploy the new definition across its website, social media messages, press releases and will even begin printing the phrase on some of its point-of-sale materials.

During a live webcast with co-founder Daniel Kenary, Doyle explained what differentiates that ?New England-style IPA? from its West Coast counterpart. Doyle described a New England-style IPA as a harmonious balance of ingredients, characterized by no single flavor prevailing above the rest. That, he says, is a departure from many of the more hop-forward offerings dominating today?s tap handles.

cont.: http://www.brewbound.com/news/harpoon-lays-claim-to-new-england-style-ipa


"New England-style IPA as a harmonious balance of ingredients, characterized by no single flavor prevailing above the rest" is a a fanciful description.  funny how every beer, it seems, describes itself as "balanced".  by definition an IPA is not balanced.  event east coast and english IPAs aren't balanced, they're supposed to leave strongly towards the hops.

Sounds smart.  Harpoon is definitely better than the overhopped IPA's that are popular these days.  A Vermont Beer that actually lives up to its hype.

[Yada]

lolatomic

[atomic]

lolatomic

I thought you would like that one.  Harpoon isn't bad though.  I have drunk it in a pinch.

[i am gay and i like cats]

[Yada]

Made a few brewery journeys over the past week.

Bluejacket exceeded all expectations, I tried five beers and all were above average to delicious. The space is gorgeous as well.

Right Proper, while an awesome spot, every beer I tried there tasted like a buddy's college apartment brew. All beers were reasonably priced and I'll probably give it another try, but the porter was the only decent beer I had. They also don't offer tastings which I found strange.

Furthermore, a shipment of Abrasive is on the way! 

[i am gay and i like cats]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/28/south-carolina-woman-stabs-husband-with-ceramic-squirrel-in-beer-dispute/

[James Ford]

long but interesting article

http://www.businessinsider.com/alchemist-craft-beer-market-boom-bubble-outlook-2013-12

[atomic]

long but interesting article

http://www.businessinsider.com/alchemist-craft-beer-market-boom-bubble-outlook-2013-12

I didn't read the whole article.  But what I read just confirms my belief that most people are extremely stupid.         Why would people drive to Vermont for beer when their is plenty of fine beer right here?  People are quite like lemmings.  You can argue them forever it won't make a difference.   

[Yada]

long but interesting article

http://www.businessinsider.com/alchemist-craft-beer-market-boom-bubble-outlook-2013-12

Great article...and I highly expect a bubble to burst in the near future. The stellar operations will succeed, but the mediocre shops will crumble. A great example is DC where the majority of the beer being brewed is only ok.

I think our Vermont favorites will survive because the beer is that good, hopefully they make smart business decisions as well but I do worry a bit about that.

Analfront's opinion will continue to be null and void since he hasn't ever had one of these beers and most likely never will. At least he'll always be able to enjoy blue moon and shock top.

[grateful]

After being told that one of his products infringed on a Starbucks trademark, brewpub owner Jeff Britton wrote the coffee company a check.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/30/258427295/the-other-f-word-brewer-responds-to-starbucks-over-beer-name

[atomic]

long but interesting article

http://www.businessinsider.com/alchemist-craft-beer-market-boom-bubble-outlook-2013-12

Great article...and I highly expect a bubble to burst in the near future. The stellar operations will succeed, but the mediocre shops will crumble. A great example is DC where the majority of the beer being brewed is only ok.

I think our Vermont favorites will survive because the beer is that good, hopefully they make smart business decisions as well but I do worry a bit about that.

Analfront's opinion will continue to be null and void since he hasn't ever had one of these beers and most likely never will. At least he'll always be able to enjoy blue moon and shock top.

There is plenty of good beer in Maryland.  Union Craft is awesome.  Vermont beer is a fad.  Its popularity will lessen dramatically.  I don't drink Shock Top or Blue Moon.  No I haven't drunk it (Toppy header)  If they want to sell it to me they need to distribute in Maryland.  I can get beer from Salzburg Austria that I like 1/2 mile from my house but I can't get stuff from Vermont here?  Nonsense.

It would be one thing if Vermont were worth visiting.  But I have been there and the state is obviously inferior in attractions to any of the surounding states.  I guess if I were a skier I might visit Vermont but not for hiking.   Beer is for drinking.  And as one of the main contributors to this threads love of Vermont beer doesn't even drink beer (6 oz a night isn't drinking beer) I am guessing it isn't all that special.



 

[atomic]

After being told that one of his products infringed on a Starbucks trademark, brewpub owner Jeff Britton wrote the coffee company a check.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/30/258427295/the-other-f-word-brewer-responds-to-starbucks-over-beer-name

Just an example of a corporation protecting its trademarks and someone trying to make a story out of it.

[stevewizzle]

Great article...and I highly expect a bubble to burst in the near future. The stellar operations will succeed, but the mediocre shops will crumble. A great example is DC where the majority of the beer being brewed is only ok.

I think our Vermont favorites will survive because the beer is that good, hopefully they make smart business decisions as well but I do worry a bit about that.

they'll have to expand, market, and distribute to keep making money. i really hold no loyalty to any VT brewery, i doubt many people do, and on all accounts i think hill farmstead is detrimental to beer culture.  the beer snob attitude has become insufferable to me, just shut up and drink your beer (or brew ur beer and sell it).

beer is simple to make. even atomicfront can do it. and beers like heady topper are being replicated, and people will soon enough simply go to where it's closest, cheapest, and readily available.  there's plenty of IPAs out there that no one has ever heard of that is comparable, if not better than whatever is coming out of VT.