Really, That Little Respect for Craft Beer?! For BeerNexus.com It’s the end of August and I’m thumbing through the paper, ok well it’s not real paper, it’s online, but you still can thumb or swipe or however you get the page to turn. I come across a full page ad for Shop Rite Wine & Spirits as it’s almost Labor Day and they should sell a fair amount of beer, wine and liquor for the weekend. I don’t really need anything but I decided to peruse the page to see what’s on special or at least what’s advertised although it may not really be on sale. It’s about half liquor; all sorts of vodka and gin, both great for end of summer cocktails and of course tequila, whiskey, Captain Morgan’s (I don’t really get the spiced rum craze), etc. etc. Moving down the page we have the wines, lots of chards, cabs, roses and of course pinot grigio (now there’s a wine with absolutely no flavor if they ever made one). And bingo there’s the end of the ad. Ah am I missing something here. So there are no beer specials on Labor Day weekend even for the mega brews?? Do they think that we beer drinkers will just come in and buy because that’s what we do and they don’t have to appeal to us? And if I didn’t see any mega brew ads, you know I didn’t see any craft beer ads… I’m starting to tug my necktie and mumble “no respect” as this looks and feels to be a true Rodney Dangerfield moment. And for those who may not be familiar with him, please take a moment to YouTube him and catch one of his many hilarious moments on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, he was good… In fact I think I’ll go watch a couple and then continue… Usually I just glance at these ads, but now you’ve peaked my interest. Is this a trend that they don’t advertise craft beer much less beer at all? Now I’m “thumbing” a little more slowly waiting for the next liquor store ad because they all must have ads for Labor Day. Here we go, World of Liquor, let’s see what they have on sale. Woo baby, about 20% of their ad is beer; ok so we’re moving up in the world. But let’s not get too excited here as it’s virtually all mega brews. They do have a craft beer list so let’s see, here’s a Sam Adams and a Brooklyn and an Octoberfest…and…we just fell off the cliff, four imports (not sure why they’re in the craft section), a cider, which of course isn’t a beer and Leinenkugels…seriously, ok ok so I know they’re owned by MillerCoors, maybe some don’t, and they’re being politically correct by not saying they’re a “bought out” regional that was probably distressed as opposed to a craft. Well they gave me something, but really nothing. Maybe craft beer drinkers don’t read the newspaper so don’t see these ads so therefore there’s no need to advertise any craft beer here. I didn’t realize I was supposed to stop reading the paper. If I walk into that store I can easily find fifty different craft beers (yes I said beers, not brands) and if I count the bombers I’ll bet it’s close to a hundred. That’s got to be at least twice as many choices as the mega brews plus imports are giving me. (Note to self, remember to start counting next time you hit the store to see if your approximate numbers hold up.) Yes I understand there’s a lot more consumption of the mega brews, but if you have two rows of four or five shelves of craft brews on your shelf don’t you want your customers to look at them and buy some??? Isn’t it important to turn them over? Isn’t that better for your business? So yea I’m a little disappointed in what I’ve seen. But maybe they’re targeting us in a different way…maybe they’re smarter than I think. I grab the Ale Street News which has tons of ads in it. And sure enough there’s a Shop Rite ad saying they “proudly support our local New Jersey breweries, such as” and they go on to list seven breweries. They’re logo and support statement are half the ad, a sixth is the brewery names and logos and a third is a list of their nine stores. Ok so this is a monthly publication so maybe they can’t really list “sales”, but I can go to Bottle King or Gary’s or Total Wine and I’ll bet they “support, i.e. sell” local NJ beer also. Maybe newspaper ads aren’t the ones that really reach us. I get emails from Bottle King and Gary’s, but I’d say they’re more focused on wine than beer. Gary’s does a beer tasting every Thursday, but they send out the email so late I’m usually reading it after the tasting is over. I’m not going to just go to see what they’re pouring as I may well have had it or am not interested. When I go beer/wine shopping I can usually find a few crafts that are on sale, but why do I have to go to the store to find that out? That’s my time and money (in case you haven’t noticed gas prices jumped when Houston flooded, but they don’t seem to be dropping as fast), why do I have to come into the store to find out? Bottle King does have a monthly book I pick up when I’m in, which again is mostly wine, but they do feature some crafts in it. Craft has grown tremendously. And if you include the sales from all the faux crafts bought by the mega breweries, then it’s really grown. So isn’t in your interest to let us know what you have and whatever you may have on special? Craft is here to stay and even if there is a major retrenchment and we go from 5,000+ to 3,000+, it’s still significant. Don’t you want us to come in and peruse what you have and maybe pick up a six or four pack of something new? You really shouldn’t take us for granted as more and more breweries are selling out of their tap rooms and we can buy direct and leave you with your hands in your pockets instead of ours. A little respect, that’s all we ask, just a little…. Glenn DeLuca writes about beer and culture of drinking. He may be reached by writing thebigG@beernexus.com. *** *** *** |
Glenn DeLuca
Outtakes from a life of beer.
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