A Beer Using Crowd Sourcing?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tony on July 24, 2008 at 11:40pm

One more time from the top....I don't want to drink a beer that is decided on by the masses. As you have rightly pointed out, common popular beers tend to be the Corona's, Heineken and stella's.

You are missing the point, as to why we (SOBA) exist. Good beers are already out there, if people want to drink them, problem is... they don't. Is it marketing?

That is why we have a fraternity, because too many lemmings, insist on drinking crap beer, that the breweries are more than happy to produce. Why? Because it's cheap and it tastes that way.

Do you guys know how the major breweries, brew their beer? I'll explain that another time, but cheaply sums it up.

Good beer is produced with quality ingredients. Most of these guys produce better beer in their garage or kitchen than the major breweries produce.

But that's a matter of taste.

That's a bad wind you guys have been having down there this week......

Permalink Reply by Barry on July 25, 2008 at 9:04am

'Sheeple' don't drink corona for it's taste. They drink it for the brand - it's seen as exotic, sexy, beachy, refreshing. If people evaluated on taste alone they wouldn't bother I believe.

The common theme of yours Dan is "innovation". You said something along the lines of you don't believe "the big boys are the only ones capable of innovation" ? I believe they're the only ones INcapable of innovation.

But thats the difference between us - you seem to perceive innovation in brewing as the way it's marketed/branded/sold. To me it's all about what you brew.

Permalink Reply by Tony on July 25, 2008 at 11:34am

Well put Baz. As Barry has stated Dan.

It appears you guys are about the marketing and presentation of the beer, true?

What we stand for, is the quality of the beer. Now that might be subjective, but the point is in Quality, regardless of the type of beer.

'Innovation' is a concept very loosely applied here. Every week, we, as members and home brewers, are being innovative in the beer we are brewing. This includes the micro brewers, we support. That's why we support them. Go into Malt House today, and taste an innovative beer.

Are you beginning to get a picture now?

That's 2 questions I've posed to you now, I'd be interested in your reply.

Permalink Reply by Mike Shadow on July 25, 2008 at 12:44pm

Shucks it's all getting a bit confrontational.

Permalink Reply by Dan on July 26, 2008 at 9:22am

Yes, we are about the marketing and presentation of the beer.

I may have been a little one-eyed when I was talking about innovation is only done by the big boys - I totally agree, the people on this forum do a fantastic job in innovating beer brewing techniques & recipes and I applaud that. So yes, I get the picture.

But when was the last time someone innovated in a 360 degree manner and really started interogating the other parts of the beer business model - like recruiting new drinkers, the marketing, the distribution etc. I think Luke has done a great job with Epic, being that he has marketed a great beer very well, but no other brands spring to mind of achieving this.

Yep, it's feeling confrontational - I'm a brand guy who believes that a majority of people buy beer for the brand, not for the taste, and most of you are the purists who would only buy beer for taste and don't give a shit about the brand. What we're trying to realise with OurBrew is bringing the best parts of these points of view together & getting the consumer to come along for the ride.

Permalink Reply by Mike Shadow on July 26, 2008 at 10:40am

There are definitely a few on here who need to stop casting advertising/marketing as being the boogeyman who ruined beer. It's so naive. They don't tell the brewers how to brew beer. They don't tell the brewer to change the recipe; that would be research, reflecting what people say. And the accountants. People can't be forced to like what they don't, no matter how hard you try and brand comms help them find the level they're happy at in a place they're comfortable. Let them eat cake.

Although using phrases like “innovated in a 360 degree manner” is a textbook cliché and doesn’t help your case.

I think if you could demonstrate as much passion for learning and understanding beer in all it’s glorious forms as you do brands you probably wouldn’t be copping so much shit.

If it was my project I’d be re-strategising and looking at a slightly longer timeframe to get to market. I’d use the time to learn a bit more about the product and market, sample everything (and enjoy it), meet a few industry people and gain a greater understanding of their side of the game. Personally I’d focus on meeting a few more people at Lion. I can see this as a natural fit for Mac's – (The logo already looks like part of the family). If they used the databases they have via their brewbars and the under-capitalised Mac's website they could easily extend the OurBrew community and you’d have a solid platform for a second launch phase. Colin at Mac's does some cool stuff and has introduced a heap more to the brand (both in flavour and audience) lately than people give him credit for. Develop something that slots into the range.

But then again, if I wanted to make money I’d just ignore a vocal minority and focus on milking the “Sheeples” (Nice term Barry, might borrow it). Then I'd spend all my ill-gotten gains on my own brewery for making beers I like just for me.

And building fences to keep all the sheeples far, far away from realbeer so I don’t have to listen to them debate the differences between Stella and Heineken.

And I would never, ever get off my high horse, it's legs are far too long.

Permalink Reply by Stu McKinlay on December 4, 2008 at 6:56pm

I think if you could demonstrate as much passion for learning and understanding beer in all it’s glorious forms...

Luke's doing this.
Richard Emerson is doing this.
I'm doing this.
Most of us on this forum are doing it, as well as most of the craft brewers (home and commercial) in New Zealand.

There's really not much money in it. But I never really hear a brewer complain about his job/hobby.

There appears to have been 360 degrees of apathy to this project (but hell, it helped kick off Yeastie Boys, so there's one good outcome!).

Permalink Reply by Barry on December 3, 2008 at 10:12pm

I think this says it all - all talk and no action: www.ourbrew.co.nz

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