[bluesman]

I wouldn't have it if it was my choice, however if there was a significant percentage of sales that was needed to keep the lights on I would serve it.  Let's face it,  we do what we have to do sometimes in order to make ends meet.  Don't get me wrong...if I could avoid it, I certainly would without a doubt.

So I guess my choice is ...no pants.      

[tschmidlin]

I understand the "give them what they want" mindset, but if you have BMC then that's all they'll drink.  If you have something like BMC then they can try that and try something else too.  That's why you bring in real German lagers and some good craft lagers, to cater to those folks.  I worked in a bar that carried mostly BMC with some craft bees, but when a Curs drinker comes in he doesn't want anything but his Curs.  It doesn't matter what else you have.  So thinking that eventually they'll try the house brews just doesn't hold up in my experience.

If you want to cater to the BMC crowd that's cool, I just don't think it fits well with a brewpub.  If you're going carry BMC just so you can sell what sells, you should also stop selling what doesn't sell - namely the schwaggy house brew.

Now maybe this is just because of where I live, because here it is harder to find places that carry BMC than those that don't, and I don't think any of the places I frequent carry BMC.  Here there's just no need to carry BMC to draw a crowd.  Our local crappy beer is called Redhook.

[ryang]

That's why you bring in real German lagers and some good craft lagers, to cater to those folks. 

Gotta have the gateway drugs...

I don't think BMC is a good gateway.

[majorvices]

I wouldn't have it if it was my choice, however if it was a significant percentage of sales that was needed to keep the lights on I would serve it.  Let's face it,  we do what we have to do sometimes in order to make ends meet.  Don't get me wrong...if I could avoid it, I certainly would without a doubt.

So I guess my choice is ...no pants.      

If you are a brew pub you need good food to keep the lights on. The beer only matters a certain percent. I agree with tom, you brew  Kolsch or a Pils or Helles or bring these beers in. You don't put a BMC tap in a brew pub. Its like having McDonald's hamburgers for sale in an upscale restaurant. Dumb.

[bluesman]

If you are a brew pub you need good food to keep the lights on.

Keith...we can definitely agree on this.  Good food is essential IMO.

[capozzoli]

I wouldn't have it if it was my choice, however if it was a significant percentage of sales that was needed to keep the lights on I would serve it.  Let's face it,  we do what we have to do sometimes in order to make ends meet.  Don't get me wrong...if I could avoid it, I certainly would without a doubt.

So I guess my choice is ...no pants.      

If you are a brew pub you need good food to keep the lights on. The beer only matters a certain percent. I agree with tom, you brew  Kolsch or a Pils or Helles or bring these beers in. You don't put a BMC tap in a brew pub. Its like having McDonald's hamburgers for sale in an upscale restaurant. Dumb.

I see what you are saying. But the idea is to sell a volume. Depending on the type of place dont expect the food sales to float the bill. Very little mark up there. If you have a liquor license, you want to sell beverages, lots of them. That is where your mark up will be.

Also the general population wants these beers, they want cheap beers. Selling them in volume is how you make money.

Maybe your place wont need that kind of thing. but most larger operations will need the income from selling these beers. If the brew pub that has BMC on tap has a good house brew why would I not take them seriously?

[tschmidlin]

Also the general population wants these beers, they want cheap beers. Selling them in volume is how you make money.

Yeah, but if I wanted a dive bar I'd buy a dive bar.

Maybe your place wont need that kind of thing. but most larger operations will need the income from selling these beers. If the brew pub that has BMC on tap has a good house brew why would I not take them seriously?

Well, in the original post the house beers were all crap . . .

[Mikey]

I would definitely serve BMC in my brewpub. It’s not about being uppity, it’s about the bottom line and I would want to appeal to as many people as I could. This is an easy way to do that.

[majorvices]

Blues: First noff, I'm not opening a pub. Its a distributing brewery. Second, if they can't brew an American Wheat or a Kolsch to bring in the BMC crown then they probably aren't the best brewers anyway.   This is from a man who has lived for the last 17 years in beer hell and who is suddenly starting to see a beer renaissance start to blossom - you don't promote craft beer by selling BMC. And if you are a struggling craft brewery the worse thing you can do is promote BMC.

The more you promote Craft Beer, the more people will accept it. Promoting BMC is literally shooting yourself in the foot.

[bluesman]

One thing to keep in mind is that the craft brewing sales share in 2009 was 4.3% by volume and 6.9% by dollars. In other words keeping BMC on tap won't hurt the bottom line.  

[Mikey]

To me, being in the business to promote only your type of beer, is kind of like opening a steak house in India.

[bluesman]

Blues: First noff, I'm not opening a pub. Its a distributing brewery. Second, if they can't brew an American Wheat or a Kolsch to bring in the BMC crown then they probably aren't the best brewers anyway.   This is from a man who has lived for the last 17 years in beer hell and who is suddenly starting to see a beer renaissance start to blossom - you don't promote craft beer by selling BMC. And if you are a struggling craft brewery the worse thing you can do is promote BMC.

The more you promote Craft Beer, the more people will accept it. Promoting BMC is literally shooting yourself in the foot.

I can certainly respect your view.  I certainly have no intention of promoting BMC. I am not a fan. I haven't surveyed the brewpub market, so I can't say one way or the other how the market handles this issue but it seems like the market may benefit by the sales of BMC.  

[majorvices]

Its not about only promoting your "type" of beer - its about promoting craft beer. Craft brewers team up with other craft brewers. My worse fear is not that someone opens a craft brewery in my town - it's that they open a craft brewery and it sucks.

There's a place for BMC and I certainly don't want to see them go away. All I want to do is see craft beer succeed. And, like Tom said, most people who only drink BMC will not want to risk trying anything else. But if you have a good wait staff that sells them a well made kolsch - well, you just opened the gate a little and let a new craft beer drinker in. Next thing you know he's drinking Arrogant Bastard.  

Now, like I said, a good beer bar like the Flying Saucer or someplace with 25 or 50 or more taps. Sure, I totally support them having BMC on tap there. But they are promoting beer - not just craft beer.

[bluesman]

Perhaps there is a fine line between promoting craft beer and promoting your brewpub that sells BMC. 

[Mikey]

Its not about only promoting your "type" of beer - its about promoting craft beer. 

Yeah, but your beer IS craft beer. So it's the same thing.

If all you're interested in doing is "promoting" craft beer, then make more donations to the AHA.