What the hell has happened to Smithwicks?

jimba

Smithwicks has been my pint of choice for the last few years. I am therefore horrified to see the branding change very recently.

First of all, you will notice that the taps in pubs for Both Normal and Pale varieties are almost the same, with white writing distinguishing the two. No longer the traditional wine coloured tap.

Second, after you declare "a pint of Smithwicks, please" you are asked by the bar lady/man would you like Smithwicks red ale or pale ale. "Eh...normal Smithwicks please".

And to add insult to this great calamity, you are presented with your pint in a new shape of glass. Like some craft beer giant wine glass-yoke. Most unmanly.

What is happening to this fantastic pint? It has gone all Hipster on us.

Todd Toddington III

Tastier Craft beer, that's what's happened.

BeerNut

I wouldn't be choosing a beer based on the brand presentation myself, but each to their own. You've noticed that the way Smithwick's is presented has changed recently. It has, and it will change again in the future, and again after that. My advice is to enjoy the beer while you can because they've changed that in the past and might well do so again at some point.

And if you don't like the glass, ask for a different one.

jimba

Todd Toddington III wrote: »

Tastier Craft beer, that's what's happened.

Yeah I get the feeling instead of trying to beat the competition, they are joining em. I believe their place in the market should be by trying to remain one of the big four draught beer options.

L1011

jimba wrote: »

Yeah I get the feeling instead of trying to beat the competition, they are joining em. I believe their place in the market should be by trying to remain one of the big four draught beer options.

It hasn't been one of the big four for decades. I would imagine that there could easily be 5 or 6 lagers (and Guinness) ahead of it in sales by a decent margin.

Ask for it in a Guinness glass if you wish.

jimba

L1011 wrote: »

It hasn't been one of the big four for decades. I would imagine that there could easily be 5 or 6 lagers (and Guinness) ahead of it in sales by a decent margin.

Ask for it in a Guinness glass if you wish.

Well yeah. Gee good thinking :rolleyes:

Do you not think most people who drink Smithwicks would prefer a normal pint glass over an oversized awkward wine glass?

L1011

jimba wrote: »

Well yeah. Gee good thinking :rolleyes:

Do you not think most people who drink Smithwicks would prefer a normal pint glass over an oversized awkward wine glass?

Very few people drink it anymore - its not really worth their while worrying about the remaining drinkers if they can't get any more. Its extremely old image (reinforced by the ads last time it was properly advertised) would not attract new customers.

TheChizler

Is that what happened? Saw this the other night and got excited cause I thought they'd released a new drink.

L1011

TheChizler wrote: »

Is that what happened? Saw this the other night and got excited cause I thought they'd released a new drink.

They have, a pale ale which is available in a fair few pubs (particularly those that have decided to go with Diageo and Heineken's fraft offerings full-on).

Pawwed Rig

Was always a tasty enough beer especially when compared to some of the other mainstream beers which can often be bland imo. It always suffered from it's image as a pensioners drink though so I would suspect that the rebranding is an attempt to combat this.
The drinks industry is very competitive so you adapt or die.
Harp is another beer that could do with a rebranding.

PaulieBoy

A Smithwicks with a Guinness head. Job done. The good old days!

Lovely Bloke

PaulieBoy wrote: »

A Smithwicks with a Guinness head. Job done. The good old days!

barmen cannot make this any more.

Baldy Conscience

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

barmen cannot make this any more.

Really? Since when?

PaulieBoy

Deleted User wrote: »

Really? Since when?

Probably too complicated for today's breed of bartender. That or legal reasons��

Sky King

jimba wrote: »

Second, after you declare "a pint of Smithwicks, please" you are asked by the bar lady/man would you like Smithwicks red ale or pale ale. "Eh...normal Smithwicks please".

What about Smithwick's Blonde?

TheChizler

L1011 wrote: »

TheChizler wrote: »

Is that what happened? Saw this the other night and got excited cause I thought they'd released a new drink.

They have, a pale ale which is available in a fair few pubs (particularly those that have decided to go with Diageo and Heineken's fraft offerings full-on).

Been drinking that a few years. It's the new tap and Red Ale sign that threw me.

jack presley

There was a stage a few years back when it was very hard to find bottles of Smithwicks in off licences.

At least with this rebranding that isn't the case anymore.

Sam Kade

Smithwicks I used to drink it one time, pure dyke water.

Pawwed Rig

Sam Kade wrote: »

Smithwicks I used to drink it one time, pure dyke water.

Why did you drink it then? If you didn't like it surely you tried it once and then moved on? 'used to drink it one time' would imply a sustained period.

hardCopy

It makes a lot of sense for them. I'm a pretty regular Smithwicks drinker now but came to it by way of craft red ales like Rebel Red and Sunburnt Red. Rebel Red is pretty easy to get on tap now but a couple of years ago Smithwicks was the closest thing I could get in a lot of pubs. Why wouldn't their marketing team tap into an explosion in popularity of red ales?

SmartinMartin

Their pale ale is superb

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

Really? Since when?

NSAI Legal Metrology rules would forbid it.

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Harp is another beer that could do with a rebranding.

Diageo seem to have decided that HH13 is their sole lager now - can't see Harp surviving outside its heartlands

BeerNut

L1011 wrote: »

NSAI Legal Metrology rules would forbid it.

Link?

ciaran76

PaulieBoy wrote: »

A Smithwicks with a Guinness head. Job done. The good old days!

Slightly off topic but I was drinking Hophouse 13 with a Guinness head in the Guinness brewery recently.

L1011

BeerNut wrote: »

Link?

They aren't delivering a fixed or even quantifiable measure of either product.

Sky King

L1011 wrote: »

They aren't delivering a fixed or even quantifiable measure of either product.

What about a shandy? Or a 'snakebite' (beer and cider)?

L1011

Sky King wrote: »

What about a shandy? Or a 'snakebite' (beer and cider)?

All similarly affected - although for a snakebite you can fudge it by serving two halves and an empty full glass (and a table load of bar mats!)

Doesn't stop many places actually doing it though.

Lovely Bloke

I meant "can't" in the sense they haven't a clue how to, not in some legal restrictive sense.

Sam Kade

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Why did you drink it then? If you didn't like it surely you tried it once and then moved on? 'used to drink it one time' would imply a sustained period.

I started drinking harp and it would cut the stomach out of me the following day, smithwicks was easier on the stomach but didn't taste great. This was back in 1983 when there wasn't much choice, I'd say I drank it for two years, it was the lesser of two evils. I didn't look back since I got used to drinking Guinness.

smallgarden

Ive still got it in places with a guinness style head but assumed it came like that as only started drinking it recently. Its like water in some bars. I find rebel red can be a little sweet

Tom1991

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

barmen cannot make this any more.

You mean the mystical splash of guinness in a pint of smithwicks that literally any goon can do.
Probably think that Guinness tasted different in the new glass aswell probably?