Craft beer bubble?

[Pudge]

Honestly, I've walked away empty handed several times over the past few weeks. I scan the beer isles and see fancy names, flashy labels, and $11-15 six packs. What I don't always see is a beer that peaks my interest.

With the Dot-Com bubble, companies were rolling in start up cash without actually doing anything.
When the stock market is peaking, you can make money investing in anything without rhyme or reason.
Prior to the housing market crash, people could buy a house and sell it 18 months later with tens of thousands of dollars profit.
You could find a house flipping show on every other channel on TV. Remodel a bathroom and make $50,000 ?!?!

Now, you use bright colors and come up with a name like Hoptacular... Hoptastic... Hopulator (just making stuff up. Hope I didn't name an actual beer), and you can make money selling beer even though a lot of the stuff coming out is middle of the road at best. When things don't make sense.... when things seem too easy... you just might be in a bubble waiting to burst.

There are still plenty of the solid, stand by craft beers you can depend upon. More and more they seem to be hidden among a sea of start ups just trying to catch that craft beer wave and make some easy money. How is a newb to wade their way into craft beer? I've seen guys glazed over looking at a beer isle. I've done my best to head them in the right direction. I'm pretty sure lately I've had that glazed over and somewhat disappointed look myself.

[FedoraDave]

I know what you mean. Many of the newer or less-well-known craft labels are just mediocre offerings and pale reflections of the more popular beers marketed by the more successful and more widely distributed breweries. And most of them seem to be IPAs or Pale Ales or Stouts. There's no in-between.

Whether this indicates an industry bubble waiting to burst remains to be seen. Some of these labels are in stores because they're local, and the brewpub is having success with their on-site sales, and they've expanded to bottling and distribution. This, to me, is an indication of success, not something about to collapse. Some of these labels may not be around in a few years, sure; that's just what happens to businesses. Some succeed and some fail. I've no doubt many business trends follow some kind of bell curve in their popularity.

[bpgreen]

I did a quick Google search and all three of those are actual beers.

[FedoraDave]

I did a quick Google search and all three of those are actual beers.

Why am I not surprised? These days, if your brewery doesn't have an in-your-face IPA, you might as well be selling lemonade.

[Whamolagan]

Now I am not a beer snob, but I believe there is a beer out there for everyone. While some may say "that is middle of the road stuff", that middle of the road stufff may be just the thing for joe somebody. I don't believe we are in a bubble as much as we are in a rut. Variety is the spice of life, and every single one of us has a different preference. I know that one of these days I am going to have to develop an IPA. I am not a huge fan of the style, but there are a lot of people out there that are.

[mashani]

I might buy 1 or 2 bottles of beer in a month. The rest I make myself. I just try something if it looks interesting. So I guess I'm personally contributing to the theoretical impending doom.

[HerbMeowing]

RDWHAHB

[Pudge]

I did a quick Google search and all three of those are actual beers.

Well, I apologize to those brewers for mentioning them in a negative light. Of course, using names like that is also kind of what I'm saying. It seems only a couple steps away from "cold filtered".

Yeah, not every beer is for everybody. That is true. Maybe my snobbery has reached a new level?

[Inkleg]

You forgot "Hoptesticular, the IPA that kicks you in the balls." (No trademark Paul, feel free to use it. )

Like Whamo said there is a beer out there for everyone and what floats my boat might not be your cup of tea. Like you, I've walked out without beer many times. What I have really enjoyed lately is the fact that many breweries can set up a canning line for next to nothing. This is allowing the locals to be able to put their beers on the shelf. Breweries here in Georgia that I'd never heard of. Some are just good beers and some are really good beers.
It's nice to have choices now. I remember when that wasn't an option.

[Beer-lord]

You forgot "Hoptesticular, the IPA that kicks you in the balls." (No trademark Paul, feel free to use it. )

Nice one. Duly noted.

[Rebel_B]

Local Two Beers brewing sells out to a French conglomerate....

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/sa ... rent-deal/

“If I am to lose a local tap handle it isn’t because of a Budweiser product, it’s another local brewery that’s just started to package or just opened their doors that will take my tap handle or take my shelf space,” said VandenBrink. “More breweries are opening up but the shelf space isn’t getting bigger.”

[evily]

Local Two Beers brewing sells out to a French conglomerate....

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/sa ... rent-deal/

“If I am to lose a local tap handle it isn’t because of a Budweiser product, it’s another local brewery that’s just started to package or just opened their doors that will take my tap handle or take my shelf space,” said VandenBrink. “More breweries are opening up but the shelf space isn’t getting bigger.”

This is completely true. This is why BMC loses business to the craft breweries, and why craft breweries lose business to craft breweries - there are so many more offerings nowadays and the same number of tap handles and refrigerator cases. The market is saturated. But, like others have said, this is a uniquely interesting time for beer lovers because there truly is something for everyone! It can be overwhelming to wade through all the product offerings, and once you do find something to suit your tastes, you have to hope that brewery doesn't go under, or you'll have to start hunting again. But that's why we homebrew, right? So we can always have a good supply of beer we know we love!

Also, Hoptesticular???