I can’t say for sure, but it sounds like it.
So now here we are, under the watchful eye of our host… The goods are here, and we are being funneled into their market, by their watchful eye… So is it a matter of time then? Sneezles61
And probably the other macro brewers as well.
I’m finding How to Brew, 4th edition a pleasant way to “turn off” the internet, ignore the M&A activity, and re-focus on my hobby.
The only thing missing is a fresh “What’s brewing this weekend” thread… Wait, I can fix that!!
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@smallbatchbrewer I think what @wilcolandzaat is saying is when downloading music first started the music companies didn’t care much. Then once everyone started doing it they realized how much they were losing in sales and screamed foul.
He’s comparing it to BIG beer not paying attention to the craft brew movement. Once they realized they were losing significant market share they took notice.
I’m not getting into the theft, good business deal. And I don’t think @wilcolandzaat was either.
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I think (I hope) the better anology of where beer is heading is more like the state of “casual dining” it used to be there there were fast-food joints or sit-down restaurants, with the occasional neighborhood greasy spoon thrown in. Sure there are still super massive crapflingers like McDonald’s, KFC, Wendy’s. Everyone knows they’re junk, but everyone is comfortable with them. (Bud Miller, Coors) But there are now some higher quality establishments, like Chipotle, 5 Guys… some of whom HAVE gotten investments from the bigger players. While the fast-food market has raised their game, sit-down restaurant’s have come down to meet them too, hence the Chili’s and Outback’s. (Cough, Sam Adams, cough) And still, there continues to be smaller independent, and family-owned spots too. In the end, very few care how big the restaurant chain is; it’s the quality of the product that drives whether you eat there. It’s the variety of the market that makes it vibrant. It’s not just get drive-thru or order pizza anymore. “I don’t feel like cooking, You want to get some burritos?” When I travel for business, I seek out restaurants that don’t have a presence in my SE Pennsylvania neighborhood. “Something different” even if that’s a huge chain like In-and-out when I’m out west. Or a local Mom-and-pop spot. I do the same for beer.
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Historically, the concept of big companies missing is trend in an industry is a common event - music (streaming), information technology (personal computers), automobiles (quality and efficiency), microprocessors (Intel and phones). The Innovator’s Dilemma is one of the recent books to explore this business concept, but it’s not the first.
So there’s nothing new here with that idea of businesses missing a trend. CEOs who say “only the paranoid survive” still miss changes in industry trends.
If the topics were around manipulation of FOMO (fear of missing out), using gamification to create a ‘need’ to move to the ‘next’ level, or opaque relationships to obscure ownership or business relationships (paid placement of online content), that’s a different subject and worthy of being called out.
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I don’t eat at chains either. My daughter used to wonder how I could pick a good dinner. Just look for the pickup trucks is what I do
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I just don’t understand how its gotta be, big or small. There are local suppliers that feed both… It guess, when big pockets change, how, why, or even manipulate the costs, that becomes OUR short comings… Too much support was placed in the big shooters. I haven’t a problem, when they buy the smaller guys. Yet, there are companies in the past, that changed grain bills to, well, make a decent brew, less… so the big guy wins. I will go back to my original theory, we will get snuffed out… We have so many home brewers, cranking out so great brews, and the non brewers are enjoying them, both the big shooters, and possibly the craft end will suffer… Next up… Homebrewers… I don’t want to comply… I haven’t a problem with peeps making a living… making a killing by scooping so much money… I DO Sneezles61
Personally, I see a bright future for my hobbies (in general) and specifically my homebrewing hobby.
I’ll agree that the future of local craft brewers is less certain.
Would it be safe to say that “the giants have been rousted from their lazy slumbers so it’s time to be (more) swift and (more) resourceful.”?
Hopefully all my local brewers have revisited their business plans over the last year or two in light of the awakening of the “slumbering giants”.
For the hobby itself, the ingredients are commodities, the equipment can be obtained from numerous retailers and manufacturers, and the ‘book’ knowledge is available at a very reasonable price.
For me, it feels like a great time to be a hobbyist homebrewer.
Should the recent events cause one to re-evaluate where their hobby dollary (homebrewing) and entertainment dollars (pints at the local tap room with friends) are being spent? Perhaps - and especially if one hasn’t done this within the last year or two.
Is there a ‘call to action’ that homebrewers could take to promote and protect their hobby? Perhaps. Here’s some things that I’ve done over the last year, in the form of a “things to consider” list:
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consider joining American Homebrewers Association.
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consider diversifying your suppliers. Bad experience at your LHBS a year ago? They and you are both a year wiser and things have changed - so consider giving them a another chance (or two) this year.
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consider removing FOMO (fear of missing out) from the hobby. I accept that one may need South African hops for that perfect IPA. But that’s not my hobby.
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consider removing ‘gamification’ from the hobby. Add skills - don’t “move to the next level”. Don’t be “that guy” who gave up homebrewing because he couldn’t brew five gallon all grain batches and wouldn’t brew 1.7 gallon brew-in-a-bag because it was at the “wrong level”.
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don’t be afraid to, on occasion, brew a great kit with a secret ingredient list (although you may not want to tell you friends
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consider joining American Homebrewers Association.
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