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Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

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Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#181

Post by stickfigure »

0xB31B1B wrote: post #18
rationalist wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I have so many great, local breweries My city has a lot, but I personally can't share in them. I will instantly vomit if I drink any local brews (in any locale). Same with whiskey. I can drink nationally-distributed beers and vodka with no ill-effects. I have no idea why. I'm jumping on this comment because I imagine there are some HN readers that might have a theory and I would be very interested in hearing them.

I hate local beers. Local wine makes sense, there is terroir, a sense of place etc. Local beers are just some weird competition to see who can make the hopiest bitterest beer. I don't want to try a new lager every time I cross county lines, when I want beer I want something reliable.

I was in Shelter Cove, CA last week. If you ran a contest to find the city in California that's most far away from everything as possible, Shelter Cove would be a solid contender. It has a brewery - actually the only restaurant in town most nights (there's another, but it's only open fri/sat/sun).

The beer was actually pretty amazing. What surprised me is that they do multiple stouts. It's getting hard to find dark beers in CA. My guess is that the coastal temps and generally overcast weather in Shelter Cove mean that the "local" beer tends towards what we normally think of as winter beer. Or it could just be that the owner likes porters and stouts as much as I do.

I wouldn't discount local beer. Unfortunately, I've never much cared for Anchor Steam, so it's hard for me to get worked up about the OP. Great tour though.

Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#183

Post by brogrammernot »

jonathankoren wrote: post #168
rootusrootus wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I can buy IPA, IPAer, IPAest, and IPAestest in every market--maybe. However, dark, heavy porters I'm totally with you, though my personal love is sour beers. IPA rules the market, to the point where I have trouble distinguishing between whichever super-hoppy IPA is currently the best. But good sour beers are not nearly so common. If someone ever buys Cascade Brewing and kills it, I will be wildly irritated. I do se…

IPAs really suck. There’s a plethora of beer types, and we get hoppy trash forced on us. Craft breweries love the IPA for three reasons. First, they’re one of the easiest beers to make. Second, they stay the most stable on the shelf/truck. Third, toxic style trend. But mostly, it’s the first two reasons.

Sorry, but this is misinformed.

They are not one of the easiest beers to make, but in fact one of the hardest. They’re very susceptible to oxygen ingress and the high hopping rates can cause diacetyl production + hop creep which can ruin the beer.

They’re also one of the most expensive beers to make based on the cost of hops and the typical amount of hops used per barrel produced.

They do not stay the most stable on shelves / truck as they can fade quickly and are heat sensitive. Heat can quickly cause off flavors in IPAs. If you keep an IPA, especially a hazy, longer than 6-8 weeks you’re going to have an inferior tasting product so you have to turn them quickly via taproom pours & hyping up can sales. There’s a reason why no one ships IPAs overseas like they do with Belgian & German styles. They don’t travel well.

Breweries brew them because they’re a very popular style and they can charge $18-24 for a 4 pack where-as a lager or lower ABV beer cannot typically sell for the same price. They can also increase the grain by ~30% and make a double IPA which can sell for closer to $24 for a 4-pack.

This is why you see six-packs for $15-18 of lagers or similar styles, the customer expectation is different.

I can understand not liking IPAs or thinking they’re overdone but they aren’t the easiest style nor the most shelf stable.

Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#184

Post by brenainn »

mikestew wrote: post #28
eyelidlessness wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> trying to out do one another across different dimensions (though mostly hops) In places with younger craft markets, it's like an even split between hops and extreme naming/label graphics. Here in Seattle, beer names are like Obscure Mythology Reference and you might enjoy the Wikipedia hole it starts you on while you imbibe. The first craft brew I remember seeing visiting my original home state, Virginia, was liter…

I was just thinking that this weekend in the Seattle area as we wandered the aisles for six for the wife. It’s either an attempt to put the scariest-looking skull(s) on the label, or $SOMETHING $SEXUAL_REFERENCE $FARM_ANIMAL (e. g., Ass-Kickin’ Horny Goat Stout).

I've always joked they're spending more on graphic designers than brewers.

Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#186

Post by lmm »

girvo wrote: post #36
pjm331 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Raging Bitch is made by Flying Dog brewery whose art is done by Ralph Steadman - well known for his collaborations with Hunter S Thompson. I started drinking it because of that fact after reading Fear and Loathing for the first time in college. It’s also nice and strong - 9% iirc

> It’s also nice and strong - 9% iirc As all good stouts should be, in my humble opinion! My all time favourite beer is the BrewDog, Nogne and Mikkeller collaboration stout: the Black Tokyo Horizon. It's 17.2%!

Just a waste IMO. Yes, sometimes I want a strong beer, but sometimes I want to spend an afternoon drinking and chatting with a friend. But I still want something that tastes good in that case!

Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#187

Post by jbigelow76 »

barathr wrote: post #172

Some of you may have had the experience of catching a show at Bottom of the Hill and reliving the NOFX song Scavenger Type: Gigin alone at the bottom of the hill / Our protagonist named Bill / Sets his sights on an anchor steam pint / All he needs is thirteen quarters / Congregated in his hat I swear they must have a pipe straight from the brewery for how fresh it is there.

Saw this comment and realized how long it had been since I listened to "Punk in Drublic", has to be at least 15 years. I immediately went to Scavenger Type but then to "Linoleum", "The Brews", "Don't Call Me White", and now "The Cause", brings back memories man :)

Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#188

Post by aardvarkr »

cwzwarich wrote: post #96
bsder wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is happening in the craft beer market? Ballast Point had a similar trajectory. They got bought for a gigabuck and now are just gone . Why the hell would you buy a company and then screw it up ? In the case of Ballast Point, all Constellation Brands had to do was leave the bought company alone . And, no, I don't believe that the issue is because you can buy great beers in every market. Hogwash. Maybe I can buy IP…

> Why is everything in craft brew now shipping in cans instead of bottles? When did that happen? - They block all light - They’re better sealed than bottles - They weigh less and are more compact than bottles - They don’t break - They’re more often recycled The freshness reasons probably correlate with the rise of hazy IPAs, which are more sensitive to freshness than other styles.

That and millennials greatly prefer cans while the older generation prefers glass. Guess who is buying more craft beer?

Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#189

Post by lamp_book »

ginnungagap wrote: post #180
lamp_book wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love Steadman’s art but refuse to buy Flying Dog beer since their owner is a giant asswipe (don’t remember the details just something to do with mistreating employees). Steadman also did the art for Anthony Bourdain’s cookbook - highly recommend that though. edit: HST’s story on the Kentucky Derby features Steadman prominently and it’s my favorite of his after/along with Fear and Loathing and Hell’s Angels. It’s pr…

As far as I know there is no relationship between BrewDog and Flying Dog despite the names

Oh whoops I meant Flying Dog.

Re: Anchor Brewing Company ends national distribution, kills Christmas Ale

#190

Post by girvo »

xarope wrote: post #109
girvo wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s also nice and strong - 9% iirc As all good stouts should be, in my humble opinion! My all time favourite beer is the BrewDog, Nogne and Mikkeller collaboration stout: the Black Tokyo Horizon. It's 17.2%!

17.2%?!? That led me down the rabbit hole to find out beers with very high alcohol content. Apparently Brewmeister Snake Venom, at ABV 67.5%, is the highest.

The Tactical Nuclear Penguin is 32% and frankly that was too strong haha but an interesting experience
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