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Author Topic: The importance of making a story to sell beer, I mean the importance of place  (Read 5837 times)

Offline hopfenundmalz

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When I first walked by a display of this beer in the grocery store with the slogan "top fermented" I laughed and my wife asked what was funny about that. My wife loves good beer but I wouldn't expect 95% of lovers of good beer to read between the lines and Strangeland knows this. Homebrewers are just not their target audience anymore. They know their market and understand that pilsners are kind of the "it" beer right now - particularly in the hot summer. They called a blonde ale a Pilsner and I would guess it sells better than it should because of that.

Contrast that with Circle Brewery in north Austin who makes a great, refreshing, clean, balanced blonde ale and calls it exactly that. I drink the hell out of that beer in the summer. In fact, it's an award winning beer (I know, that's faint praise for a blonde ale but it really is well executed).

Strangeland isn't the first brewery in Austin to not have a "beer first and foremost" attitude and it won't be the last.
So I have to ask, what is your opinion on Austin Beerworks Pearl Snap Pils?

As much as I like ABW as a place to hang out and have a few pints, I would not be surprised if Pearl Snap was hybrid/ale fermented. It's refreshing but there is something slightly off about it to me.
It has been recommended to me, once it may have been bad lines, the second time it was just not Pils like and uninspired.

Great! Now we can start a grand Austin non-pils conspiracy theory! Kidding (only sort of).

Live Oak Pils, like I said, I'd bet my house that's an actual lager strain and is probably my favorite pilsner in town. Live Oak, like Circle, are two of a handful of breweries in town that just execute really well on a smaller number of beers. Not the sexiest or most savy with their marketing but you can tell they put beer first.
Live Oak Pils was most definately a true Pilsner in the Bohemian style. Real Ale Hans Pils is a good German Pils.
Jeff Rankert
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Offline blair.streit

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I agree about Live Oak and Corcle generally putting out quality stuff. In fact, Ken, you should try Circle Envy Amber. Based on what you said you like I think it would be up your alley (they say it's more like an ESB).

I'm also not a huge fan of Pearl Snap. Like you said -- doesn't seem very lager-like, though there's nothing particularly objectionable about it if you ignore style.

Offline dilluh98

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More lager/pils diversions: Any Austin visitors/residents have opinions on Uncle Billy's Lazy Day Lager?

Billed as an American pale lager. I've drank quite a bit of it this summer.

Offline reverseapachemaster

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I'd be highly surprised if Live Oak Pilz wasn't fermented with one of the Czech strains. They go out of their way to conduct a decoction mash. If they will do that then they are likely taking the time to ferment it properly.

That Strange Land advertising is a silly mixture of local buzzwords and corrupting the meaning of pilsner.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline Stevie

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They must of written it while drinking a Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic

Offline ynotbrusum

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I don't get too worked up on descriptors as being the be-all end-all on beers.  Here is a beer that was named "Beach Blonde", is described as a golden lager and just happened to take bronze at the World Cup for a German Helles:

http://www.crystallakebrew.com/Beers/


It is a really great beer.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline blair.streit

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I don't get too worked up on descriptors as being the be-all end-all on beers.  Here is a beer that was named "Beach Blonde", is described as a golden lager and just happened to take bronze at the World Cup for a German Helles:

http://www.crystallakebrew.com/Beers/

It is a really great beer.
I'm kinda with you on that. I'll overlook marketing gamesmanship if I like the beer and feel like an informed buyer can at least know what he's getting. In the example you gave, their marketing almost "downgrades" the product. I'm less likely to forgive it if I don't like the beer or if I feel like they're trying to give a lower-end product a "marketing upgrade" to turn it premium. That's just duping people, which is a losing strategy in the long run.

Offline Village Taphouse

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Update:  I was in Austin this past week and I was never able to hook up with this beer.  Every place I went either didn't carry it or they were out of it.  I drank a lot of beers down there but never got the chance to try this one.
Ken from Chicago. 
A day without beer is like... just kidding, I have no idea.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Update:  I was in Austin this past week and I was never able to hook up with this beer.  Every place I went either didn't carry it or they were out of it.  I drank a lot of beers down there but never got the chance to try this one.
Impressions on the ones you had?
Jeff Rankert
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Offline brewinhard

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They must of written it while drinking a Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic

ha!  Nice one.

Offline Village Taphouse

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Update:  I was in Austin this past week and I was never able to hook up with this beer.  Every place I went either didn't carry it or they were out of it.  I drank a lot of beers down there but never got the chance to try this one.
Impressions on the ones you had?
I was at the Austin Ale House and had a number of locally-made IPAs and I'll be damned if I can remember who made them.  I'm not an IPA drinker normally so after a few 7.5% beers... things got a little fuzzy.  :D  I did find myself sitting in front of a Fireman #4 a couple times when the beertender would say, "We have a locally made blonde" and then I realized what it was.  It was actually better than I remember from having it last month.  I also had a Hans' Pils by Real Ale (very good) and the Pearl-Snap by Austin Beerworks which was also very good.  I was trying hard not to make this a BEERCATION since I was down there to get my son situated for his freshman year at UT but what I drank was very good.  Austin is a great beer town.
Ken from Chicago. 
A day without beer is like... just kidding, I have no idea.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Update:  I was in Austin this past week and I was never able to hook up with this beer.  Every place I went either didn't carry it or they were out of it.  I drank a lot of beers down there but never got the chance to try this one.
Impressions on the ones you had?
I was at the Austin Ale House and had a number of locally-made IPAs and I'll be damned if I can remember who made them.  I'm not an IPA drinker normally so after a few 7.5% beers... things got a little fuzzy.  :D  I did find myself sitting in front of a Fireman #4 a couple times when the beertender would say, "We have a locally made blonde" and then I realized what it was.  It was actually better than I remember from having it last month.  I also had a Hans' Pils by Real Ale (very good) and the Pearl-Snap by Austin Beerworks which was also very good.  I was trying hard not to make this a BEERCATION since I was down there to get my son situated for his freshman year at UT but what I drank was very good.  Austin is a great beer town.
It sounds like you will have more opportunities to explore Austin.

When we first went to Austin it was good, Michael Jackson had it in his top 6 in the US (pocket beer guide). Then the real estate went up and places like Waterloo brewing and The Bitter End went out. Celis then closed. The Gingerman was to be closed, then relocated when they found a space. For a while it was not so good. Now, Austin is a great beer town once again.
Jeff Rankert
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BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Village Taphouse

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Update:  I was in Austin this past week and I was never able to hook up with this beer.  Every place I went either didn't carry it or they were out of it.  I drank a lot of beers down there but never got the chance to try this one.
Impressions on the ones you had?
I was at the Austin Ale House and had a number of locally-made IPAs and I'll be damned if I can remember who made them.  I'm not an IPA drinker normally so after a few 7.5% beers... things got a little fuzzy.  :D  I did find myself sitting in front of a Fireman #4 a couple times when the beertender would say, "We have a locally made blonde" and then I realized what it was.  It was actually better than I remember from having it last month.  I also had a Hans' Pils by Real Ale (very good) and the Pearl-Snap by Austin Beerworks which was also very good.  I was trying hard not to make this a BEERCATION since I was down there to get my son situated for his freshman year at UT but what I drank was very good.  Austin is a great beer town.
It sounds like you will have more opportunities to explore Austin.

When we first went to Austin it was good, Michael Jackson had it in his top 6 in the US (pocket beer guide). Then the real estate went up and places like Waterloo brewing and The Bitter End went out. Celis then closed. The Gingerman was to be closed, then relocated when they found a space. For a while it was not so good. Now, Austin is a great beer town once again.
Seems like it.  My son also gave me a wild piece of information... did you know that Austin is the 11th largest city in the US by population?  Larger than Boston, Denver or San Francisco.  I had no idea.
Ken from Chicago. 
A day without beer is like... just kidding, I have no idea.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Update:  I was in Austin this past week and I was never able to hook up with this beer.  Every place I went either didn't carry it or they were out of it.  I drank a lot of beers down there but never got the chance to try this one.
Impressions on the ones you had?
I was at the Austin Ale House and had a number of locally-made IPAs and I'll be damned if I can remember who made them.  I'm not an IPA drinker normally so after a few 7.5% beers... things got a little fuzzy.  :D  I did find myself sitting in front of a Fireman #4 a couple times when the beertender would say, "We have a locally made blonde" and then I realized what it was.  It was actually better than I remember from having it last month.  I also had a Hans' Pils by Real Ale (very good) and the Pearl-Snap by Austin Beerworks which was also very good.  I was trying hard not to make this a BEERCATION since I was down there to get my son situated for his freshman year at UT but what I drank was very good.  Austin is a great beer town.
It sounds like you will have more opportunities to explore Austin.

When we first went to Austin it was good, Michael Jackson had it in his top 6 in the US (pocket beer guide). Then the real estate went up and places like Waterloo brewing and The Bitter End went out. Celis then closed. The Gingerman was to be closed, then relocated when they found a space. For a while it was not so good. Now, Austin is a great beer town once again.
Seems like it.  My son also gave me a wild piece of information... did you know that Austin is the 11th largest city in the US by population?  Larger than Boston, Denver or San Francisco.  I had no idea.
With the traffic to match. Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas are bigger than Austin, a nod since TX has the second largest population, it should be no surprise.
Jeff Rankert
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BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Village Taphouse

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That I-35 between the campus and the airport is a nightmare. 
Ken from Chicago. 
A day without beer is like... just kidding, I have no idea.