Beer Geeks Online
The
Internet has fundamentally changed the operation of the
brewing industry. From breweries to beer bars to package
stores, the internet has had remarkable effects. One of the
its most noteworthy achievements has been the empowerment of
the online beer geek.
For
the brewing industry, the Internet has given birth to an
entirely unparalleled consumer movement. While slightly
unfair, wine consumers wait until Robert Parker or James
Laube tell them what to think about a particular vintage or
release. In the beer industry, greater numbers of consumers
are shunning the writings of critics such as Michael Jackson
for the wisdom of consumer enthusiasts.
Once upon a time, breweries
only had to cater to professional writers and critics. Now,
the opinion of some guy in the middle of Nebraska outweighs
those of the world’s most well-known critics. The internet
has become the great equalizer. Now anyone with an internet
connection and some time to spare can impact the brewing
industry. Some brewers are unhappy about this development.
They grumble that average consumers should not have such a
powerful voice or that they unfairly lay their venomous
rants at the feet of unsuspecting brewers. Other brewers
have tapped into this change. These brewers cater to the
online geeks, providing extra and sometimes direct customer
service.
“I think the influence has
been very positive,” says Greg Koch of the Stone Brewing
Company. Koch himself personally interacts with consumers on
websites such as BeerAdvocate.com and Ratebeer.com. “Look,
the best beers out there do not advertise. Small breweries
count on word of mouth to gain new converts. Essentially,
the beer enthusiast websites, forums and chat rooms are a
form of word-of-mouth, only louder. If you make great beer,
you’re loving it. If your beer is not so great, I would have
little doubt that you would make disparaging comments about
the online beer communities.”
For members of the brewing
industry, this article serves as an informal focus group for
the consumer demographic you should be looking to better
serve. This group, the consumer beer geek, is made up of
dedicated enthusiasts who are willing to spend money on
quality products and services, if you are willing to provide
them. In this first of two articles, our panel of four of
the most well-known consumer beer geeks offers its opinions
on the internet, its effects on the brewing industry and
what beer geeks look for in a good beer store. In the next
segment, the group discusses the characteristics of a good
beer bar, how breweries can better serve their needs, the
brand loyalty of beer geeks, and the beers that are exciting
them right now.
BIERGIRL
CORNELIA
COREY While a mere
consumer, Cornelia Corey is one of the most recognizable
females in the world of beer. In 2001, Corey bested other
applicants to win the Wynkoop Brewing Company’s Beer Drinker
of the Year contest. In doing so, Corey broke through the
male-centric world of beer to become the first and only
female to win the contest.
Corey first became
interested in better beer during her first trip to England
in 1990. On the plane ride, she became concerned about
drinking the “warm flat beer” of real ale. Much to her
surprise, however, she discovered a love for the living
beer. “After that trip, I made it a point to try local beers
whenever possible,” she says. “The beer interest grew
somewhat slowly until a stay at Oldenberg Beer Camp in 1993.
That experience really opened the door to the rich variety
in beer. From then until now, the beer hunt has continued.
I’ve been asked before how this ‘passion’ started. I believe
you don’t find a passion, it finds you.”
DR.
BILL
BILL
SYSAK Bill Sysak’s
love of better beer started long before he was of legal age
to enjoy it. “In 1977, twenty-seven years ago, at the tender
age of 15, my father caught me and two friends drinking
Lowenbrau Dark in our backyard. My father, who was ahead of
his time, had acquired a taste for British ales and German
lagers back during World War II. Instead of grounding me (or
something worse), he made me a deal – if I promised not to
drink away from home and never to drive while intoxicated he
would show me what real beer was all about and how to enjoy
it responsibly.”
Sysak is known to many in
the beer industry for the generous beer tasting events he
hosts at home and during the Great American Beer Festival
each year. In August, Sysak will play host to his eighth
annual 12 Hour Birthday, Belgian Beer and Barley Wine
Festival. In his backyard, Sysak will serve up a mind- and
palate-boggling selection of more than 1000 bottles from his
beer cellar. He will pour two different beers every ten
minutes for more than 12 hours for 150 of his “closest
friends”. Ever the gracious host, Sysak also provides more
than two dozen kegs donated by breweries and home brewers in
California, “just in case (his guests) get thirsty during
the nine minutes between pours.”
DAVO
DAVE
RODRIGUEZ Dave
Rodriguez is all over the place. You can find him in San
Diego for the Real Ale Festival, helping a small, local
brewer bottle his beers, driving up to Boston to volunteer
at another beer festival, and then contributing hundreds of
beer and pub reviews on BeerAdvocate.com. From his first
taste of Anchor Steam, Rodriguez was hooked on better beer.
From that day forward, he threw himself full-tilt into the
American craft brewing scene. He remains a strong advocate
for his local New York and New Jersey brewing
scenes.
VENOM
LOREN
VERKOVOD As one of
the internet’s most active and recognized beer geeks,
Verkovod has published reviews on more than 2000 beers from
more than 42 countries. Ten years ago, with nowhere else to
turn, publishing a book would not have been out of the
question. James Robertson’s seminal Beer Taster’s Log, which
featured 6000 condensed reviews, pales in comparison to
Verkovod’s extensive, layered descriptions.
Take for example, both of
their reviews of Bar Harbor Brewing Company’s Cadillac
Mountain Stout. Of the beer, Robertson writes: “Opaque
brown, brown head, malt nose with a complex citrus-yeast
background, big dry malt palate; hops come in at the finish;
long dry malt and hop aftertaste; definitely a dry stout
style.” Of the same beer, Verkovod writes: “Impenetrable
mahogany. Heaping head of sticky tan foam. Rushing
carbonation. Fantastic aroma of dark chocolate malts, black
malts, peanut skins and coffee beans. Heavenly array of dark
malt flavors. Sweetened chocolate, dark toffee and
cappuccino-esque coffee flavors. Sweeter than expected. If
this is dry, so is my humor.” There is more to the review,
but that about sums up his capable reviewing style.
When
did you start participating in beer-related web
sites?
BIERGIRL
It was about three and a half years ago that I began
interactive involvement. I had used some websites before for
beer and beer travel research. I found a great community of
people who happen to share many of the same interests – not
just beer. One of my favorite beer quotes attributed to
Hunter S. Thompson is “good people drink good
beer.
DR.
BILL I’ve surfed
the various websites for years – they are a great source of
knowledge for all things beer, from new releases to
happenings in the industry to historical information. I’ve
been a member of the Burgundian Babble Belt, going on three
years now, a group of Belgian beer aficionados from around
the world. Members include everyone from beginning beer
geeks to famous writers, brewers and other highly regarded
members of the craft beer industry. This group comprises, in
my opinion, the foremost group of Belgian beer experts
outside of Belgium.
DAVO
My first experience with beer-related web siteswas when I
first stumbled on BeerAdvocate.com in 2002. For some reason
a light bulb in my head went on. I wanted to learn more, and
just having an appreciation for good beer was no longer
enough. I think, even after more then two years,
BeerAdvocate.com, and the many other beer sites that exist
(Ratebeer.com and the Babble Belt) all continue to help me
grow as a beer appreciator.
VENOM
I joined the website BeerAdvocate.com in November 2000. It
was pretty much the only beer related site I’d ever heard of
and I stuck with it alone for quite some time. I love
BeerAdvocate.com (and Ratebeer.com as well) for the
opportunity they provide us to share our opinions and
thoughts on beer tastes and brewpub atmospheres – and the
ability to discuss these amongst fellow beer lovers as well.
It’s basically the online equivalent of a family style pub.
I’m glad I have a stool at the end of the bar and wouldn’t
give it up for anything.
What
value or service do you think participation in beer websites
and giving tasting notes has on the industry or
brewers?
BIERGIRL
First, I don’t review beers. I discovered that my interests
didn’t lie in that direction after a couple of study
sessions for the Beer Judge Certification Program exam. If
asked to describe a particular beer, I usually respond “the
title is Beer Drinker of the Year, not Beer Taster.” I’m not
sure about the value of tasting notes to a brewer. I suppose
some are pleased with the good reviews and upset by the bad.
They may give a brewer an idea of his or her strengths and
weaknesses. They may also alert a brewer of problems in the
brewery or distribution.
DR.
BILL Perhaps the
greatest service these sights supply the industry is in free
advertising – word of mouth can be a great help when
thousands of beer nuts are reading about a new brewery or
one of its new offerings. Likewise, the same holds true for
pubs, restaurants and off-premise sales establishments.
Another great benefit, especially for the industry
professionals who find their niche in the specialty beer
scene, is monitoring trends. On the Babble Belt, we have
actually had brewers brew and bottle beers especially for
us. One of the pitfalls concerning these sights from an
industry viewpoint is the potential for a bad review. I can
understand the concern of a brewer if a particular batch of
beer is not well received.
DAVO
These websites, even with some of their faults, are a great
source of information for anyone and everyone that has any
inkling of interest in craft beer. Reviews inspire the
layman to seek out beers which might be of interest, and it
also helps brewers to gauge how their beers might be doing.
The forums offer up information that is both valuable to the
average beer lover and the industry person. I see these
websites that offer up discussions as no different then
being at a local pub. The brewer or brewery owner has a
chance to talk directly to the consumer.
VENOM
I also think these websites have provided breweries, store
owners and bar owners with a great insight into the beer
loving community’s minds. Feedback is necessary for any type
of business that thrives on making money off a satisfied
consumer, which is what we all really are when you boil it
down. I would think many owners and brewers alike have found
these websites as a critical part to the way they run their
business and perform their job. Of course, some may not give
two pence about what some yahoo living in Cupheag,
Connecticut, has to say about a brewpub’s food in Walla
Walla, Washington. But I’d like to think that someone out
there reading a review on these websites can take something
from what was written.
Do
you interact with brewers over the Internet?
BIERGIRL
I have several acquaintances in the brewing industry that I
do contact on occasion, but it is usually on a more personal
note. I don’t often contact people I haven’t met or don’t
know personally. I have contacted some of them when I’ve
noticed a forum thread that I think they should be aware of.
I did contact a respected brewer, who I also knew
personally, about some beer I had purchased which I believed
had contamination issues. My concern was more for the
brewery that I respected than for the off beer I had
purchased. We had a nice exchange about the problem and I
felt like I had done a good deed.
DR.
BILL You can talk
with someone for an hour and be given a dozen compliments,
but you always remember that one off comment that someone
makes about you or your work that supersedes everything
else. Brewers are no different than anyone else in this
respect. The ones that know me and appreciate my opinion,
whether complimentary or not, are receptive to me. If I want
to discuss the attributes or inadequacies of a beer with
someone who doesn’t know me, I try to approach them with an
intelligent discourse. If they have an open mind, I usually
have good results. The ones that don’t want to hear from me,
well it’s their choice. I feel that it is their loss if
they’re not open to the consumer. I feel confident that my
knowledge and experience allows me the ability to hold my
own in conversation with anyone in the beer community. Call
that egotistical if you want, but give me an hour with you
over a few pints and I can usually win you over.
DAVO
I’ve been contacted by many brewers about some of the things
I’ve written (on the beer websites). I must say, the first
time was a bit surprising. But it was great to get them to
talk about my concerns or thank me for my praise. Either
way, it just shows how different this industry truly is. It
adds a sense of community to it.
VENOM
I’ve received e-mails from brewers regarding my reviews, but
it usually is prompted by me initially. I have no problem
getting in touch with a brewer to share a recent review. I
also have no problem if the email goes the way of the
dinosaur without being read. Through these e-mails I’ve come
into contact with a few brewers whom I’d like to think of as
friends, even though I haven’t met them. One example would
be Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Company. Last
year, I contacted Vinnie, out of the blue, to ask if it
would be possible if he could send a keg or some bottles of
a Belgian-style beer to Connecticut for a local festival I
was volunteering at. He was so excited just being able to
spread not only his name eastward, but to further the cause
of extolling the virtues of Belgian-style beers on any
audience. The beer he sent, Temptation, proved to be one of
the highlights of the festival. Now how many people in
Connecticut ever even heard of Russian River prior to this
event?”
What
makes a good beer package store?
BIERGIRL
A reasonably sizable selection of craft beer, domestic and
import, with knowledgeable staff, makes for a good beer
shopping experience. They should make sure they have enough
turnover that the beer is reasonably fresh – for the vast
majority of beers freshness is an issue. Displays should
expose the beer as little as possible to light while still
allowing the consumer to see what is available.
DR.
BILL From the
consumer point of view, (a store that carries) better beer
at reasonable prices. I realize, though, that it’s not
always that easy. It’s risky for smaller businesses to
invest their liquid capital in a niche market which probably
won’t turn over as rapidly as many cheaper, better known
products with a proven track record. Get to know your
customers. When you see a regular who is constantly trying
different brands of the larger micros, like Sam Adams or
Sierra Nevada, see if there is anything else that they may
be seeking or interested in trying. Also talk to your
distributor and see what new SKU’s they are carrying. Try
one or two new items at a time, allowing for a wider
selection for customers like me, while keeping the risk of
tying up revenue to a minimum.
DAVO
I’ll keep this simple: Half Time in Poughkeepsie, New York.
This is a super-sized beer store. On my first visit, I
literally walked around for 30 minutes, without a cart, just
taking in the whole sight. They also offer some unique brews
on tap for growler fills, about 11 taps. Simply put, this is
a beer destination in itself. I drive the hour and
forty-five minutes each way every so often just to see
what’s new.
VENOM
A good beer store to me doesn’t mean a “holy shit”
selection. Of course, it is nice to walk into a place and
get all goo-goo eyed over six aisles of product. But
realistically speaking, what’s the turnaround on
seventy-five percent of that product? A good beer store, to
me, should respect its clientele and develop a selection
according to what routine customers ask for. Interaction
with the local beer community is also important to me.
Helping to throw events, tastings and dinners to generate
camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts is important. I think many
stores have realized that developing a following is critical
to maintaining a fantastic beer selection. Word of mouth
does wonders amongst the beer geek community.
