Do I need to brew an amber? I am a fan of New Belgium – 1554 is a crazy good beer, Biere de Mars is awesome, and La Folie is a different experience altogether – but do I need to have a Mad Haven version of Fat Tire to please the masses?
Beer for the masses (aka a picture of a lot of people drinking beer at Oktoberfest)
There are a lot of beer styles. A lot. My last post was a quick rundown of BeerAdvocate’s styles, and how many beers are listed in each one. It wasn’t very scientific. There are a lot in there that aren’t made anymore. There might even be some that are in the wrong style. And honestly, we could probably narrow it down to 10 categories rather than 90.
I did narrow it down a little. I went into this thinking that ambers would be toward the top of the popularity list. I have no reason for this hypothesis, and I was apparently wrong. Here’s a quick breakdown. Be nice, I know my categories aren’t perfect.
| Pale Ale | 9064 |
| Lager | 6514 |
| Other | 4552 |
| Wheat | 3841 |
| Stout | 3033 |
| Strong | 2439 |
| Amber | 2140 |
| Porter | 1806 |
| Pilsner | 1712 |
| Brown | 1566 |
| Bock | 1457 |
| Light | 1418 |
| Scottish | 1010 |
| Barleywine | 632 |
It’s no surprise that Pale Ale is number one. For this count, Pale Ale includes all varieties of Pale Ales and IPAs, both American and English, Imperial and regular, double, etc. IPAs are all the rage these days, so obviously there are a lot of varieties. For Lagers, I just grouped all the lagers together. I don’t know much about lagers, so I’m ok with this grouping. Other includes things like sours (which I love!), Oktoberfests, Chile beers, Fruit / Veggie, Pumpkin, and the rest of things that fit in a category named “other”. And so on down the list. If you group Light with Amber, which one might be inclined to do, the hybrid groupology pushes it to #5.
When I originally set out to grab these numbers, I had an unfounded hypothesis that ambers would be higher. So the premise of this post being somewhat shot, let’s move on.
My blonde is heavyset and a little dirty.
I don’t tend to get too crazy with my recipes, at least not yet. They’re generally a little off to the side of their supposed style (the judges agree on that one too, at least), but I haven’t yet delved into the “extreme” side of things. My stout has caraway seeds. My blonde is more.. dirty blonde. My IPA is heavily hopped with hints of ambrosia (the food of the gods, not the weird fruit salad stuff).
I guess my long, drawn out question is this: Do I need to make beer for the masses? Or is the craft brewing world big enough now to support whatever style I make, assuming it’s amazingly delicious. I’m not getting into this industry to sell beer to every person who walks in off the street (though that would help sales quite a bit). I’m making beer because I love to make beer, and I love to share it. So what are your thoughts? Do I need to have the “entry-level” beer? Or can I stick with the bigger, stronger, hoppier, maltier, crazier, sourer, whateverer brews?
P.S. I realize this is was a complete ramble. Congrats on your persistence in getting this far into the post / my brain.
Good question, PJ. While I definitely respect your brewing skills and believe that you make great “bigger, stronger, hoppier, maltier, etc etc” beers (heck, I’ve actually tasted them now!) maybe when you are getting started out… you should have at least one beer that will appeal to a large audience. This way, the word may spread quicker! That’s just my thought…
I agree with Ginger…
Focus on one beer that draws the people in and slowly expand from there. Up-sell them later.
Plus ambers are lower on my list of beers I like.
I think Ginger was saying I should brew an amber, as that’s a beer that many non-craft drinkers enjoy. So the question is, focus on a mass-appeal beer that isn’t anything special, or on a specialty beer that the masses probably won’t enjoy. I prefer the latter
Well, in that case, mass-appeal beer is Coors or Bud or Miller….
Obviously don’t go that route. While Fat Tire is a fairly large-appeal beer, it still isn’t nearly as popular as the true mass beer companies, I think.
Go with the beer you love, as Erik said below. If it is an amber – so be it. But don’t do it to just appease the masses. Make it the complimentary beer if you like one of your other beers better.
Sours are always good.
I say no to Amber!
I mean… unless you really love Ambers.
An amber won’t make you stand out, and an amber won’t make you rememberable. An amber will put you right there in the middle of the marketplace competing with every other damn amber out there.
Do you really want to compete with Fat Tire? Man, not unless your Amber is effing MAGICAL.. like for real. It’d better have fairies in it.
That said, I’m not sure you want to go total extreme, either. Even Dogfish Head, who is the extreme king, makes its money on their IPAs and their Shelter Pale Ale. However, their Pale Ale and IPAs are exceptional. It helps support the name they have for their extreme.
So – yeah – back to the top. Don’t make an Amber because you feel like you have to. Don’t make a beer for the masses unless it’s a beer that you LOVE and think is AWESOME. Because others will, too.
Stand out with quality, not with homogeneity.
I totally agree.
However, I’m now working on a recipe for an amber with fairies in it.
Careful. They can really gum up your mash.
I agree with Erik, make what you want to make, even if it’s weird, people will buy it if it’s good.
As far as lagers go, from what I understand lagers are fermented with lager yeast at a cooler temperature than ales and generally take longer to finish fermenting. But it’s not like lager is really a style, for example you can make a pilsner with lager yeast (Miller Lite is (supposedly) an example of this) or a bock with lager yeast or, really, any different style of beer and ferment with lager yeast. Obviously since it’s a different kind of yeast fermenting at a cooler temp for a longer period of time there’s going to be a somewhat different flavor profile than the same recipe fermented with ale yeast.
“Or can I stick with the bigger, stronger, hoppier, maltier, crazier, sourer, whateverer brews?”
Sure you can. There are plenty of successful businesses that focus on the high end of a market (e.g. Apple, Mercedes, Whole Foods). It’s a viable business plan. And asking the question as “can I” suggests you want to. So do it.
But I’d be careful not to go in harboring a hope that one of those better beers might go mass market, or you’ll end up sacrificing to that end in hundreds of subtle ways. High end works well and mass market works well, but you don’t see many successful companies trying to do both. Most people don’t like good beer and that’ll take generations to change.
PJ,
Good question and good comments thus far. I would say follow you gut on what to brew and it will take you quite far. I would suggest, however, you pay close attention the range of your own enjoyment (past and present) of beer.
Certainly craft brewing is filling a void (perhaps black hole is more accurate) in the taste buds and desires of beer drinkers in America. Finally we are starting to enjoy “bigger, stronger, hoppier, maltier, crazier, sourer, whatever” which is without a doubt a good thing. At the same time, how often is it that you want to being able to simply drink a beer without having to sit down so it doesn’t blow you over? I mean think about how wonderful a PBR still tastes (gasp).
Perhaps it is a question of the role of craft brewers–can you be craft and still appeal to the simple side of beers (simple equals not mundane)? You need to be making beers you love, and perhaps some of those beers don’t knock your socks off.
Keep it up.
Great post, and a question I debate a lot. I’m also in the mindset to start a brewery, so this is the constant battle.
I would make some flagship beers – and ones that most people can enjoy. I think of New Glarus here in Wisconsin with their Spotted Cow. Everyone loves it. But, this doesn’t stop them from doing the most craziest beers for the craft folks, and they do an amazing job at it. Their Old English Porter just blows my mind. If you are not in WI however, you may have not had it since they choose to stay local.
This way, you can have the best of both worlds!
Brandon
@brandonmeves
Most importantly, have fun with it.
Thanks for the comment Brandon. I’m in the same boat. I make an IPA. That’s super popular. I’m just not going to make any boring beers
trust your gut.
It all depends on your goals not only as a brewer, but as a businessman: Do you want to be a neighborhood, regional, or mass-market brewery? How big can you afford to start? If you think about it, the more styles you want to produce, the more staff and space you’d need for equipment.
I’d say concentrate on what you believe you can afford, and tailor your production for what you like to make–if you’re in it to share your craft. If you’re brewing to make money, then stick with the popular styles of your market and expand.
Either way, you’re never going to appeal to the ‘masses,’ really. A beer like Budweiser is popular because of a long business-minded history shaped by the culture in which it was cultivated and propelled by its marketing. On the other hand, beers like Avery’s are carried by owners/brewers who make crazy beers which find a market, while being supported by a line of high-production staples.
So, maybe use standard styles to drive your name/brand, and create specialized recipes to elevate your reputation.