Are the Irish ready for BIG beers??

TheBrewMeister

I know that there is a growing demand for better beer in Ireland. But, it's my understanding that most beer available in Ireland is in the 4-5% ABV range.

Here in the States there is a huge market for bigger beers - i.e. 8% ABV and up.

Are the Irish ready for these beers???

drumswan

Whats ABV got to do with anything. Theres certainly a gap in the market to produce more adventurous styles, higher ABV will come with those.

oblivious

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

I know that there is a growing demand for better beer in Ireland. But, it's my understanding that most beer available in Ireland is in the 4-5% ABV range.

Here in the States there is a huge market for bigger beers - i.e. 8% ABV and up.

Are the Irish ready for these beers???

All the cool kids in the US are into sessions beers at the moment

TheBrewMeister

drumswan wrote: »

Whats ABV got to do with anything. Theres certainly a gap in the market to produce more adventurous styles, higher ABV will come with those.

My point is, there's a lack of beers with higher ABV...

So, you tell me - why?

And, "more adventurous styles" doesn't necessarily equal higher ABV. In some cases it does, but not all.

All-in-all, there seems to be a lack of any adventurous styles, but there seems to be some apprehension about it. I'm wondering if this has to do with a perception for higher ABV beers, cost, or both?

TheBrewMeister

oblivious wrote: »

All the cool kids in the US are into sessions beers at the moment

You mean "hipsters." And that typically comes with the summer months. All the winter type beers are coming back into play right now. - i.e. Pumpkin Ales, Imperial Stouts, Xmas Ales, etc.

snowblind

Yes there are higher ABV beers in off licences and yes they sell - answer is: yes.

TheBrewMeister

snowblind wrote: »

Yes there are higher ABV beers in off licences and yes they sell - answer is: yes.

But none or not many in the pubs?

snowblind

Also why does everything that is in vogue at any moment of time have to be told in the form of "hipsters...". Why do you have to personify something that just happens to be "in"? To make it easier to mock?

snowblind

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

But none or not many in the pubs?

Not many, but that's a cultural thing and it's changing with already some in pubs. Brain Blasta has been around in Porterhouse for [insert correct # of years] and seems to be doing fine. Brewing is a risky business and I think the brewers are playing safe and over thinking it maybe a little bit when it comes to this. Soon there will be many, at least based on my experiences on the offerings of the craft beer fest, and then everyone will be cursing all these hipster breweries :cool:

TheBrewMeister

snowblind wrote: »

Also why does everything that is in vogue at any moment of time have to be told in the form of "hipsters...". Why do you have to personify something that just happens to be "in"? To make it easier to mock?

I use Hipsters as a joke from his joking reference to "session beers."

In the States, it's becoming trendy to drink beers like PBR. They aren't drinking it because it tastes good. They are drinking it because no one else is.

It reminds me of a Southpark episode where the "goths" told the kids they were "non-conformists," but as a group their "non-conformity" meant that they were conforming to non-conforming.

I am definitely not referring to myself or other craft brewers and consumers as Hipsters.

snowblind

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

I use Hipsters as a joke from his joking reference to "session beers."

In the States, it's becoming trendy to drink beers like PBR. They aren't drinking it because it tastes good. They are drinking it because no one else is.

It reminds me of a Southpark episode where the "goths" told the kids they were "non-conformists," but as a group their "non-conformity" meant that they were conforming to non-conforming.

Yeah I know. Some people just use the word "hipster" for anything that is popular but they don't care about that much themselves. Which, ironically, is very hipster-y thing to say: "look at all these others, I'm a true individual....with my...erm...consumer choices...". It's a straw man concept and a highly divisive at that. Whatever, off topic rant over....

drumswan

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

My point is, there's a lack of beers with higher ABV...

So, you tell me - why?

And, "more adventurous styles" doesn't necessarily equal higher ABV. In some cases it does, but not all.

All-in-all, there seems to be a lack of any adventurous styles, but there seems to be some apprehension about it. I'm wondering if this has to do with a perception for higher ABV beers, cost, or both?

Theres plenty of high ABV beers available in craft beer bars, mostly import. Some of our craft breweries take their cues from the UK brewers who havent traditionally been 'big beer' breweries.

That said, Fran Well, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Carlow, Porterhouse, BPBP, Double L and Guinness all have ~8%+ beers on the market, so you'll hardly be blazing a trail.

schemingbohemia

The excise duty costs of higher ABV beers come into play, craft beers are already attracting "premium" prices so in a recession releasing high ABV beers means either the brewer/pub absorbing the higher cost (rarely done) or passing it onto the customer which means a €6 pint instead of a €5 pint (smaller sales, beer either being sold in smaller kegs or going "off").

Ravelleman

I think it's to do with the tax bands that schemingbohemia has mentioned. In America, as far as I could tell, higher ABV brews were no more expensive than lower ABV ones. In fact, I understand that if the beer is less than 5% or so, the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to supply the specific ABV rate on the vessel, certainly not in California anyway.

On that note, I must say that America really is the promised land of beer. It's kind of depressing to come back here, although things have certainly improved.

oblivious

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

You mean "hipsters." And that typically comes with the summer months. All the winter type beers are coming back into play right now. - i.e. Pumpkin Ales, Imperial Stouts, Xmas Ales, etc.

mmmh no, session beer (it an awful term) are all there rage in the craft beer in the US at the moment, session IPA is an exmaple

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

i.e. Pumpkin Ales, Imperial Stouts, Xmas Ales, etc.

I suspect there are going to be "session" versions of those beers this year

TheBrewMeister

oblivious wrote: »

mmmh no, session beer (it an awful term) are all there rage in the craft beer in the US at the moment, session IPA is an exmaple




I suspect there are going to be "session" versions of those beers this year

Maybe in California/out west. Not where I make/sell my product but I'm on the east coast.

TheBrewMeister

drumswan wrote: »

Theres plenty of high ABV beers available in craft beer bars, mostly import. Some of our craft breweries take their cues from the UK brewers who havent traditionally been 'big beer' breweries.

That said, Fran Well, White Gypsy, 8 Degrees, Carlow, Porterhouse, BPBP, Double L and Guinness all have ~8%+ beers on the market, so you'll hardly be blazing a trail.

I sense some unfriendliness from you? Is it because I'm American?

drumswan

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

I sense some unfriendliness from you? Is it because I'm American?

Not at all, im looking forward to your output, ill be first in the queue to buy it

oblivious

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

Maybe in California/out west. Not where I make/sell my product but I'm on the east coast.

Yea true, I tried one in pizza paradiso and beer keller in DC january just gone. But yea it still very west cost focused

Krusty_Clown

As previously pointed out, there are lots of examples of high ABV beers available in the craft beer pubs (I enjoyed a glass of Hoptimum just two days ago). Though the craft beer industry is growing at a significant rate, it is still very much in its infancy over here, with most brewers still working hard to get established. In that environment, the focus tends to be on producing really good but approachable products. Once established they can afford to venture into the world of products which have a more unique appeal.

One of the issues with high ABV beers in Ireland is that they don't really fit the profile of the typical Irish pub visitor. Sweeping generalization, but we don't tend to be 'sippers'. We tend to go to a pub in a group and follow a round system, where a handful of pints ( Irish/UK pint serving) wouldn't be unusual and where a lower ABV beer is just more appealing (so you don't become the elephant in the room ). The higher ABV beers would appeal more to the craft beer enthusiasts, rather than the recent converts (like myself).

BeerNut

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

Are the Irish ready for these beers???

The Irish have been drinking them for years, it's just they're normally brewed in Belgium. Duvel, Chimay, Kwak and the like are pretty commonplace.

Stronger beers have tended not to be brewed here because of our pub culture, as Krusty says. The market for "speciality beer", eg stuff that isn't meant for drinking by the pint, is only just getting big enough now for Irish breweries to really notice it.

But I don't think Ireland will ever be like the US or Denmark, with most native craft beers in the 6%+ range. Our pub culture and tax regime are against it, before even looking at consumer preferences.

TheBrewMeister

I've read that there's a growing trend of people buying beer and drinking at home?

Big Nasty

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

I've read that there's a growing trend of people buying beer and drinking at home?

That's more to do with the recession we're in (or just come out of if you believe the media). You can buy a macro beer in an off licence for 25% or less of what the same beer will cost you in a pub.

BeerNut

TheBrewMeister wrote: »

I've read that there's a growing trend of people buying beer and drinking at home?

They mostly do it in the pub style: a sequence of medium-strength beers in half litre measures.

ian_m

MCMLXXV wrote: »

That's more to do with the recession we're in (or just come out of if you believe the media).

I'm 8% sure we're on the way out of it.