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Your Comments, Criticisms and Contributions - August 2002The Feature Article from July's World of Beer about the pricing of craft-brewed beer certainly got people talking. I've engaged in several interesting dialogues with readers representing both sides of the issue. What follows are just a few of the responses:Could not agree more with your premise. I've long supported anything to increase the perception of fine craft beers as being worth a higher price. For example, why continue to sell six-packs, and buy into the canard of "joe six-pack"? Alan Sprints at HOTD generally sticks with single bottles, a wise decision. Rogue, of course, is famous for its 22-oz silk-screen bottles. I wish that other Oregon brewers such as Full Sail and Deschutes would produce four-packs, with a higher unit cost. Thanks for expressing the issue so well.- Don Lief
I understand where you're coming from, and while there is considerable validity to some of your observations, that doesn't make your over all premise a correct one. If I understand you correctly, your advice is that the craft brewing industry should adopt an attitude similar to that currently embraced by a number of wineries in the world. Unfortunately, you've misconstrued the similarities in this case, which is why I believe your argument is flawed. Here's why: As you noted in your article, top burgundies and premier cru Bordeaux frequently sell for exorbitant prices (well, at least I think they're exorbitant). As you also correctly point out, this is often a function of scarcity and perceived high quality. You then go on to say that it is these things, in combination with a high price, that make these wines so desirable. Steve, it isn't just those attributes that make these wines so desirable, it's a proven track record of quality. These wines are all the things you mention, but on top of that they have proven to be among the best made wines in the world for many, many years. I would point out that there are a number of grand cru wines that despite their high price and scarcity do not sell well at all. The problem is that they do not have the same perceived high standard of quality that Petrus, Lafite Rothchild, Romani Conti and Latour have (to name but a few). Admittedly, there are a number of wineries that try to sell their wine solely by creating a false impression. I used to live in California, and almost weekly I would receive a brochure from a new winery trying to push some new Russian River Pinot Noir or Caneros Zinfandel for a very high price. These wineries would have absolutely no track record to fall back on, but would try to sell pinot noir from new vines for $50 a bottle and up. Just as you seem to recommend, they would put a high price tag on their wines so everyone could tell "this is a fine bottle of wine." In my opinion, this practice breeds only snobbery and ignorance. We had people buying wine who know nothing about it's quality, and wee buying it solely because it was expensive and thereby difficult to come by. Personally, I don't like the idea of buying or selling wine based on this philosophy. As a result, I also dislike the idea of buying or selling beer based on the same principle. In my opinion, the people who paid $100 or more for Samuel Adams Utopia are nothing more than a bunch of snobbish jackasses. Is this really how the craft beer industry wants to market its products? Do they want to sell their product to a bunch of idiots who know nothing about beer, but think they are getting something special because it's expensive and scarce; or would they rather sell their beer to a wide variety of customers, who buy their product and are willing to pay a few dollars more because it is well made and satisfying (regardless of how much of it is made). Frankly Steve, I'm a bit surprised you would want to hop on board the Utopia band wagon, and encourage the making of more expensive and inaccessible beers. I usually find myself in agreement with most of your ideas when it comes to beer, but not this time. I for one would rather base my beer purchasing on a proven track record quality, and not on only perceived quality. I'm surprised to hear you do not feel the same way.
Speaking as one who has been fortunate enough to taste some of the best in the wine world, and the best in the beer world, let me say that it jazzes me a little bit to even contemplate a beer list, let alone one that has prices that approach, say, a Giocondi house wine swill, for the best beers in the world? My palate does not care if the source of fermentable sugar was from sucrose in grapes or converted starch. Is the beverage of the best class available? If so, I will pay for the experience/privilege of enjoying it. No problem.
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