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Poll

Could you take a brewer/brewpub seriously who served Bud/Miller/Coors on the tap next to his house-made brews?

Yeah, it makes sense to me
No, why would you do that?
No pants?

Author Topic: Brewpubs that serve BMC  (Read 11005 times)

Offline majorvices

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #45 on: September 16, 2010, 05:45:59 am »
The bartenders would point out the large list of craft beer for $5 a pint.  The fans would ask for a Bud.  The bartender would pull a bottle out of a cooler and say "$8 please".  They would pay without hesitation.

Bwahaha! Too damn funny!


So you guys wouldnt give a brewpub a chance if they had BMC on tap?
 

That's not at all what I said. Not speaking for anyone else.

Offline beersk

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #46 on: September 16, 2010, 08:29:51 am »
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.
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Offline Mikey

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #47 on: September 16, 2010, 08:40:04 am »
I'm not a beer snob. I have ordered Budweiser when good craft beer is available. Sure goes down nice on a hot summer day.

Offline majorvices

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #48 on: September 16, 2010, 09:36:34 am »
I'm not a beer snob. I have ordered Budweiser when good craft beer is available. Sure goes down nice on a hot summer day.

Sure, I don't mind a bud every now and then. But I can honestly say I never have, and most certainly never will, walk into a brewpub to try their selection of Bud products. If its a hot day I might try their kolsch. ;)

Offline akr71

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #49 on: September 16, 2010, 10:15:33 am »
Unless you only associate with like-minded (from a beer perspective anyways) folks, it makes it easier for you to go out with a group of friends.  If all aren't interested in the good stuff, they've at least got an alternative.

Because they could buy a bottle of fizzy yellow water - why waste a precious tap.
Andy

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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #50 on: September 16, 2010, 10:18:48 am »
I'm not a beer snob. I have ordered Budweiser when good craft beer is available. Sure goes down nice on a hot summer day.

Sure, I don't mind a bud every now and then. But I can honestly say I never have, and most certainly never will, walk into a brewpub to try their selection of Bud products. If its a hot day I might try their kolsch. ;)
Yeah, when it's 105F on the Deschutes I'm reaching in the cooler for a Coors Banquet and not a Gordon.  Never a Bud though, that stuff is terrible, Busch is better among the AB products IMO.  Next time though, it will be Bitburger now that I can get it in cans from my local bottle shop.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #51 on: September 16, 2010, 10:32:39 am »
When I go to a brewpub I like to sample their beers. I like to take in the atmosphere, try some of the chef's specialties and sample what I hope to be good microbrewed beer.  I never drink the BMC's at a brewpub. Not that I don't like them but I'm more interested in craft beer.
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Offline dbeechum

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #52 on: September 16, 2010, 10:55:37 am »
Here in Pasadena, there's a successful little chain (about to have a third location) of beer bars that specialize in being eclectic and having a bad ass selection of different beers. Lucky's has such an amazing selection of Belgians for instance that Dave, the owner and speaker in this story, was knighted by the Brussels' Brewer's Guild.

One day I was in the pub and pointed at a tap of Stella that he had on and made fun of it. Dave stopped what he was doing and emphatically said: "That one tap pays for all of these others" (He has about 40).

Now granted that's a pub and not a brewpub, but Dave has managed to thrive in what has been a beer desert by that rule. I think for anyone in the beer business, I cannot begrudge them using the big brewers as means to siphon off the cash they need to make the rest of our happiness possible.

Besides, at some point, some one drinking a big lager product in one of these places is going to have to get curious and try something. If they don't after multiple exposures get curious, then they're never going to anyway.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #53 on: September 16, 2010, 11:02:39 am »
I cannot begrudge them using the big brewers as means to siphon off the cash they need to make the rest of our happiness possible.

Besides, at some point, some one drinking a big lager product in one of these places is going to have to get curious and try something. If they don't after multiple exposures get curious, then they're never going to anyway.

This was a point I made earlier in the thread.  Using the big boys to your advantage for survival purposes is a viable option for brewpub owners.
Ron Price

Offline majorvices

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #54 on: September 16, 2010, 11:15:33 am »
Now granted that's a pub and not a brewpub, .

Exactly - and thats a big difference right there.

Offline dbeechum

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #55 on: September 16, 2010, 11:36:49 am »
Now granted that's a pub and not a brewpub, .

Exactly - and thats a big difference right there.

See and I don't feel it really is that big of a difference between a pub and a brew pub. Yes, a brewpub wants to push it's own products, but ultimately they're both looking to do two things - stay in business and educate about beer. (And by pub I'm obviously thinking of a good beer pub, not your local dart shock)
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #56 on: September 16, 2010, 11:45:45 am »
If it comes down to a brew pub having to keep their doors open by offering BMC then I can see it. But if a brew pub can't come up with a "cross over" beer to please the masses and have to rely on Bud then their beers probably suck anyway and the doors probably won't be open long.

As I said before, you wouldn't offer McDonald's hamburgers at an upscale restaurant just because people amy want them. Its the same thing with a brew pub. And a brew pub should be all about educating teh public about fresh, local beer. They are sending the wrong message otherwise. And it is obvious from this thread that a good portion of craft beer drinkers would be turned off by seeing BMC sold at a brewpub. On top of all that its just weak.

Offline Mikey

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #57 on: September 16, 2010, 12:20:53 pm »
The next time I go to a brewpub, I'm carrying in a sack of $1 Double Cheeseburgers, sitting at the bar and ordering a Bud, just to see what happens. Life is too short not to know.

Offline bluesman

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #58 on: September 16, 2010, 12:23:48 pm »
If it comes down to a brew pub having to keep their doors open by offering BMC then I can see it.

This was my point.

...but I can agree in the sense that a brewpub carrying BMC's only detracts from the craft beer products they create onsite.
Ron Price

Offline MrNate

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Re: Brewpubs that serve BMC
« Reply #59 on: September 16, 2010, 01:01:40 pm »
As I said before, you wouldn't offer McDonald's hamburgers at an upscale restaurant just because people amy want them. Its the same thing with a brew pub. And a brew pub should be all about educating teh public about fresh, local beer. They are sending the wrong message otherwise. And it is obvious from this thread that a good portion of craft beer drinkers would be turned off by seeing BMC sold at a brewpub. On top of all that its just weak.

I don't disagree with your position, but I disagree with your analogy. People who eat McDonald's hamburgers will typically eat other hamburgers as well. Most of the BMC drinkers I know are ferociously loyal to ONE brand of domestic lager. So while you would probably be able to sell a restaurant burger to a McDonald's man, chances are that Mr. Bud Light and his buddies would turn and walk out the door. Whether or not that's acceptable to you as the pub owner is what should drive your decision.

That being said, I've always wondered if posting a big sign that clearly states BMC is foreign-owned and a big "Buy American" under that would be enough to sell an adequately watered-down house lager in a working-class town.
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