Radler - the story unfolds

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Permalink Reply by Geoff Griggs on March 26, 2009 at 5:18pm

... and just to cheer you all up even more, I've just found out that DB have also trademarked the name "saison" in New Zealand!

Enjoy those bottles of Saison Dupont while you still can!!!

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Permalink Reply by JoKing on March 26, 2009 at 5:24pm

You have got to be kidding me.

Did the TM Doppelbock too?

Bullshit considering there's was a "Doppelbock Ale"

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Permalink Reply by Geoff Griggs on March 26, 2009 at 5:42pm

I checked that too. Apparently doppelbock and tripel are safe - for now!

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Permalink Reply by Horace on March 26, 2009 at 6:18pm

Anyone keen to get in and trade mark the words ale, lager, and beer surely they must be up for grabs too.

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Permalink Reply by Ally Mcg on March 26, 2009 at 8:30pm

FFS. It all just goes to prove DB don't care about beer - they care about

1 Duping the consumer that you have to 'deserve' a beer before you can drink one
2 Making money

I fuckin hate em. Its a shame they import Budvar, but I guess i can always brew my own clone.

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Permalink Reply by Greig McGill on March 27, 2009 at 7:37am

It's not a problem that they care about making money. Every business does, otherwise they wouldn't be in business. The issue is that they have zero passion for the means they use to make that money. In normal (ie competitive) circumstances, that would doom them. Why buy poor quality product from a producer who might as well be making and selling window cleaner?

The problem is that we, the market, don't know any better. We don't know enough about what good beer is in order to judge DB products to be bad beer and thus consign them to the fate they desperately deserve. They've done this to us, but we've let them. This needs to change, and is why education is one of the primary drivers behind SOBA.

It's hard to convince people just how shitty DB products are without being labelled a beer snob (as has already happened on this very forum). Screw that. It is never snobbery to objectively compare two products and declare one superior. Snobbery is drinking (or not drinking) a product purely based on perceived status/value, not calling a spade a spade and preferring a product which has been objectively judged better.

I'm angry and want to do something about this. Does anybody have any suggestions which don't involve huge cost or lawyers? I always feel like if it was possible to just sit down and talk with the people who make these terrible decisions, we could solve the issue. It never seems that easy though.

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Permalink Reply by Stu McKinlay on March 27, 2009 at 8:17am

As I've said a million times before, and I'm sure I will say a million times again, DB products are directed at the mainstream consumer - just like McDonalds, Cocoa-Cola, Toyota Corollas and The Warehouse are.

Now I drive a Corolla because I have no interest in cars other than to get me from a to b, and I know it is a solid reliable car (every car I've had except a 1963 VW Beetle in my early 20's has been a Toyota). People drink DB for the same reason - they have no real insterest in beer other than as a social lubricant and they know it is going to taste exactly the same every time.

As for eating, I eat at Boulcott Street Bistro, Eateria de Manon, Great India, The Original Thai... etc etc. Places with individual personality, serving great food. I like good food like I like good beer.

Some businesses will make money and still be passionate about their product... but not all businesses. Some are just providing a brainless product or service for braindead people (caveat: not all DB drinkers are braindead).

Most people simply don't care about good beer and never will. It's those on the fringe that we need to influence.

All that aside - has anyone come up with a good idea for fighting this? What needs to be done? I'd suggest the th Brewer's Guild should create a voluntary agreement that breweries will not attempt to trademark any style listed in BJCP or WBC guidelines.

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Permalink Reply by Greig McGill on March 27, 2009 at 4:20pm

I disagree Stu. A Corolla is a decent well made car. DB products are NOT good beers by any standard, and they advertise themselves as such. It's a different issue.

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Permalink Reply by Reviled on March 27, 2009 at 4:23pm

Actually... Im right into cars (at least I was before I found beer) and my car of choice for a while was a good ol 88 Corolla GT, loved that car and man it was fast, and fun to drive! But the best thing was it still looked like a rusty corolla :o) Awesome!!

Permalink Reply by Dai on March 27, 2009 at 10:08am

Does anybody have any suggestions which don't involve huge cost or lawyers?

What about lobbying a MP? Or better still, the Minister for Small Business or the Opposition spokesman for this portfolio? Surely this type of behaviour by the big boys is anticompetitive and should, in my opinion, be made illegal. I was reading in Beer and Brewer that the editor did something similar regarding the high taxes craft brewers face over the ditch. Didn't say if anything was achieved though, but maybe that is for another issue. I suppose it would be better if actual brewers did this though? Or maybe SOBA, but not sure was their mandate is, so them getting involved as a Society may not be appropriate. But just a thought.

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Permalink Reply by Stu McKinlay on March 26, 2009 at 5:39pm

I know a place that is blissfully unaware and still selling Green Man Radler. I won't tell if you don't...

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Permalink Reply by Tony on March 27, 2009 at 11:45am

I think this might be a prime cause for SOBA to get behind.

-What about contacting the European breweries that make Saison, would they have an interest in this?
- I think canvassing our MP's is good idea, perhaps we should start a petition.
-start bombarding DB with emails about this.
-Does anyone have contacts in the Media? the one sure way to quickly get attention and hurt them, is through the media.
-can SOBA, as an organisation, put together a letter, that each and any of us can forward, on behalf (Stu, Greig?)

I think we should seriously get on board this, after all it is what we love and stand for, right?

Plus, I am not one to hide under barstools, when the beer jugs start flying, let me at em!

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