What Is The Future Of Beer

[devo]

What Is The Future Of Beer?

 

[WSC]

Great idea, converting a toilet for brewing...Add mesh at the bottom, pour in grain and flush sparge, just need to heat the cistern.......every house has one or two.

 

[Dazza_devil]

I had a bit of a discussion in the carpool home from BJCP training lastnight about how 'narrow' the Aussie Pale Ale category is. Basically, if it aint made with coopers yeast, it's pretty much a failure.

That's where I reckon Australian beer has a lot of space for growth. Our lagers aren't too bad. For instance, our Boags Premium Lager has won many awards (if we are gonna polish medals), worldwide. No affiliation by the way.
It's our Ales, our Ales need more depth.
Isn't it possible for something to evolve from the depths of the homebrewers backyard laboratory that is truely Australian and unique with some amount of tradition involved?

 

[Scruffy]

Many (many) years ago I joined a group of TVR enthusiasts on a small but growing forum called Pistonheads - we would wax lyrical about the good old days, and the exciting new developments at the TVR factory and their race team, we all met up at racetracks around the UK for track days and general piss-ups (hotel included). As the site expanded (although i prefer the word diluted!), TVR became slightly derided and scoffed at by newer members wanting to sing the praises of their Ferrari/Porsche/Lambo, we attracted members with all kinds of weird and exclusive marques - we still enjoyed the exclusivity and aloofness, and maintained the track days and the beer drinking - almost became a sort of Freemasons club. Then the trouble started, the riff-raff joined, with their version of 'sports' car. A Honda Civic, a Supra, a Clio - even bloody Volvo! - suddenly every 'Blonde' driver and his (fat) wife were on... it was like watching a shit fight at your local (Aussie) pub (OK, maybe in a pub in Caboulture...), what I'm trying to say is you can't fight the opinion of the great unwashed (and that's not just the English). All an honest hardworking Aussie wants to do when he's finished his toil is sit on his front deck, quench his thirst with something cold and shoot cats*.
I think it's our duty and our task as renegade fighters of the resistance to uphold the traditions and heritage of our various ancestors, before 1800 the UK drank dark beers mostly up to 1100 OG, then in the late 1800's came the IPA style - lighter, more bitter (late hopping came later, still 65-110IBU), but still much stronger than today (7-10%), then with refrigeration came the lagers. The bland cold beers we drink today in Oz are brewed to be exactly that, a cold ethanol injection - they've still got traditional ingredients (drink one at 10C!), so I can't see that changing, as most people wouldn't know what/how/where a different or new beer could possibly occur. Plus people don't like change. People are prone to peer pressure. People are a bit like sheep. Look at the wine industry - for years, Aussies made wine and then some upstart comes along with his 'new French style', as soon as the French accepted it, every f*cker wanted to make the French style... I'm gagging for a Rioja style - can I get it here - can I buggery... but hey ...
We will always be in a minority, but a minority worth listening to - I can't tell you what the future holds for beer (or I'd be rich), but I sure want to be part of its development.
Cheers.

*...or not.

...maybe we could all sit along old oak benches being drip fed a saline/ethanol solution whilst a screen plays a stream of frosty beverage images, boobs and footy and every minute a small nozzle 3 inches from your face releases a mist of isohop.

 

[Dazza_devil]

For the brewer wishing to market his product, perhaps the following may be worthwhile contemplating.
What's your main motivation to do so?
To make money, the more the better and sell as much of it as you can?
To please the beer connoissuer, selling to a limited clientele but a very discerning and challenging one?
Because you enjoy making it and having others enjoy drinking it?
What other reasons are there?

I tend to look at the Tasmanian brewer that produces Moo Brew. To me I am yet to sample a better beer from Australia that comes anywhere near his brews in all aspects of the drink and I've been around and used to sell the stuff. I can tell you that the dood isn't doing it for the money, nor did he need to when he began selling wines either. Perhaps he's a genius, perhaps he has a passion to do what he does. Whatever it is I reckon that year by year his sales will increase and because of one reason. He produces beer of the finest quality without the need for any advertising gimmicks.

 

[superdave]

I think our opinions of beer will be slightly skewed. As much as we want to leave our heads in the sand and hope that the majority will be converted to enjoying a drop of fine flavoursome beer, the reality, as pointed out by Thirsty Boy and BribieG, is that there will always be a large market for what already exists. I hope to god that the low carb fad dies like all the other fads, but I think everything will continue business as usual. There might be slight tweaks such as dropping the alcohol content due to excise changes, but otherwise it'll all be in the same vain.

Being a hot country the best suited beer style is something with soft flavours that can drunk easily after a hard day working or on the weekend after mowing the grass in the sun; or to watch the footy/cricket in stadiums that are uncovered. Think of the major breweries as Toyota, gets the job done, doesn't cost a whole lot, can be relied upon but there will always be people who want something else.

And as for an Australia beer style, I think we already have one; XXXX, VB, etc.

 

[gjhansford]

IMHO I think we're forgotten one of the main reasons the low alcohol light lagers are now the norm in Australia ...

... the success of the 'Don't Drink and Drive" campaign!

With my miniscule 20l home brewery open every Friday night I see first hand my guests ask the ABV of my beers and then work out in their heads how many they can drink and how fast they can drink them. And quess what ... the next time they come they bring a designated driver and go for it!

They also want to know the size of the serve ... and to meet their needs for trying all of my beers I've had to find a couple of dozen smaller 'taster' glasses.

So the way I see it ... most drinkers at pubs and restaurants arn't there to get pissed and they are well aware of the implications of drinking too much. So the low alcohol and 'low carb' beers allow them to ... "stay a little longer". It's not about the malt, the hops or the mouthfeel. It's about the ABV.

It just so happens that it's pretty hard to make a low ABV beer that has flavour, aroma and mouthfeel ... and is not a dark English mild.

2c worth ...

Time for a beer!

 

[Dazza_devil]

Being a hot country the best suited beer style is something with soft flavours that can drunk easily

That's why that Mexican beer is so good.

I fail to see why it has to taste like shit so you can slam it down.


As for VB and XXXX, if they are iconic Australian Beer styles I'm ashamed to be an Ozzie.
Perhaps we should say that XXXX is Queensland beer style and VB Victorian but please don't speak for the rest of us.

 

[WSC]

The OP was what we all thought about what we would buy as people who know and understand beer not what we think the masses will buy.

 

[Dazza_devil]

Just some things to discuss and let us know what the general feeling is, or give us some advice and we might brew a style you suggested.

Well at least he knows what some of us wouldn't drink.
I think most posts are OT as far as a general feeling goes and there is something to be taken from them for the OP.

 

[beerDingo]

He produces beer of the finest quality without the need for any advertising gimmicks.

I like their beer, but the dark bottle (and shape) seem to be quite "gimicky" to me. Not bagging it. Just that he is putting it in a different bottle to distinguish it from the rest, so I kinda disagree with you. It seems to be trying to look "classy" to me. But I do agree that they are beers of the finest quality.

Kind of agree that a simple quaffer would be good. But another person said that why would you buy a $70+ slab when you can get one for $40? That is kinda the killer here. I've heard from one bottle shop owner that since Goat have removed pale ale and replaced it with the steam ale, that (at his shop) sales have plummeted. Not sure if this is the same across the board though.

I would also most probably seek out specialty beers, such as "first harvest" styles, or whatever. But, most of all I want a TASTY light beer! Something I can take to a BBQ, drink a bunch and still be able to legaly drive home, without feeling like I've just drank a whole bunch of bad flavored soda water!

 

[mje1980]

Not sure, but i think ( can't believe this! ) the low carb beers are much easier to drink than the usual beers the big boys bring out. Still nothing on a great craft beer, or home made beer though.

Craft beer?? I think it'll go in a cycle, the boutique breweries will get too popular, so a lot will be bought out by the big boys, and the beers will become ordinary, but hopefully some will stick around and keep making great beers.

Either way its looking good for beer i think.

 

[Snow]

Few main points : Brew a IIPA, Good Kolsch, English Mild and Good Pilsner.

I like your thinking here Glenn. Something for everyone - a hop monster, thirst quenchers, a driving beer. Add a seasonal specialty every 3-6 months and you've got a stable you can conceiveably work with to make consistently good beer. just don't put off the average punter and go too "boutique" like Red Oak or Moorilla. Don't get me wrong - I love their beers and their restaurants, but they are aiming for a certain target market (and hitting it well). I'd like to see a well made Kolsch or a raspberry porter available for a decent price at Dan Murphys.

Cheers - Snow.

 

[Dazza_devil]

I like their beer, but the dark bottle (and shape) seem to be quite "gimicky" to me. Not bagging it. Just that he is putting it in a different bottle to distinguish it from the rest, so I kinda disagree with you. It seems to be trying to look "classy" to me. But I do agree that they are beers of the finest quality.

Funny you should mention that, the bottles is the one thing I would change. I thought they looked pretty cool so I kept a few to put my brew in. They look fantastic but they don't pour very well for homebrew if you have any sediment in the bottom, very hard to decant so I don't use them anymore. I do think it's a good idea to have a unique bottle for your product though.


TASTY light beer!

Boags Premium Light or even enjoyed a Boags Draught Light off the tap once.

 

[warrenlw63]

I subscribe to the KISS theory. People over-intellectualising over beer should cross genres to wine and be done with it.

For me it's all about beer being the drink of the working class... Best enjoyed with people that matter and the conversation being partially about beer and the rest about life in general.

Importantly it should be made for what the people want. Whether it's for millions of brand-loyal consumers or your own small, insular demographic it's all beer in different forms. It all has a right to be on a shelf or fridge.

Drink what you want, make what you want without choice being forced upon you which it rarely is.

Warren -

 

[jbowers]

- More experimentation, and a move away from American Big Flavour Beers and Hops

Couldn't we atleast have some time where we actually make some 'american big flavour beers'...?

 

[dgilks]

Couldn't we atleast have some time where we actually make some 'american big flavour beers'...?

That's what I thought when I read that post. We have some brewers that claim to do but only 1 or 2 that actually do it.

 

[Dazza_devil]

Subliminal Advertising. It's rife.

'You can fool some of the people some of the time,
But you cant fool all the people all of the time'
Robert Marley


I think all the people want all of the time is a choice.

 

[bum]

Nope. Devo were right.

 

[Dazza_devil]

Nope. Devo were right.

Off the freedom of choice album?