Jan 25 2008
Suds
I thought about riding this weekend. Then I just sat quietly and after a couple minutes it went away. Whew. That was a relief.
The long-awaited (feared) beer increase will be heading our way very shortly. Word on the street is that $5 pints aren’t that far off in the future.
The hype over Deschutes Abyss seems to have subsided. Bottles were going for $40 to 50 on Craigslist and E-Bay. Some jackass had a case for $600. Yes, that’s a 400+% markup.
There’s a couple ways to approach this. First – it’s just beer. I mean, come on. Second – since the start of the microbrew revolution 15-odd years ago, beer nerds have been clamoring for ‘respect’ from the general beverage industry, particularly the wine nerds. It’s an uphill battle at best.
Personally, I don’t think that a vast majority of beer has the year-to-year variance in taste and quality that wine does. Brewers, at least in the US, strive for consistency, year in and year out. Wineries get their grapes and make the best wine out of it they can, regardless of whether its a good year or a bad year. Beer, on the other hand, doesn’t suffer as much from the random, seasonal fluctuations in growing conditions. The Bridgeport IPA I drink tomorrow will probably taste pretty close to the first one I had when I moved to town 10 years ago. Not exact but close.
I appreciate the direction that some breweries are going in to make distinctly unique products. The Bourbon-barrel craze of late is one. Take an extra strong beer, preferably one that isn’t regularly available, age it in barrels and then package it as a limited edition. Great. You’ve created a one-time product that people will now realize that once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Anyway, I’ve added my case of Abyss to the cellar along with all the others. My tentative plan is 1 or 2/year.