What are you drinking ?

[jt]

Ok, so What Are You Brewing was a hotty, as topics go.

Now I'm 15 pints into a keg I only filled on Tuesday and wondering if anyone else has a favourite at the moment ?

It's my second brown with US-Oh05 and it's better than the forst, maybe Ikept the temps down a bit during the scorcher we had in januray

[Michael]

They are not going to use hops anymore? So, no Sassy Red with its Saaz hops?

I heard a number of big breweries just use some sort of hop extract. Is this the plan?

[James P]

From the "Macs Draught" comment I think Stu's was getting at there being no hop aroma/taste/bitterness in the brew rather than the use of hop extract.

[Mike Neilson]

Hi im Mike Neilson and im a Hopaholic. Maybee this beer might help me beat my addiction? Who am I kidding I will never try this beer, I dont like Mac's anyway, Brewjolais included. Lets get real just because they have a brewery bar (had) dosnt mean that make Good Craftbeer or Craftbeer for that matter!!! It means that they are trying to con the masses into believing in what they are drinking is. Craftbeer in my mind is where the headbrewer gets to make the decision in what they are brewing not the bean counters and marketers.

[Stu McKinlay]

Brewjolais was really good in 2009... awesome in 2008.

[Mike Neilson]

Meh, thought it was average, I like what they are doing with it though I must admit. I bet brewing a beer like that was the brewers decision not the marketers and bean counters.

[Michael]

Amen!

Hopefully I am right when I say that brewing beer is like doing your passion for a living. I one follows his passion, the money will follow. Whether it be a brewer, a hacker, or a painter, an "unpassioned" individual who is merely going to work and making a living can never out do one who is doing what he does because he loves it.

[David Wood]

I think I remember Alasdair saying he had to fight the bean counters to get Brewjolais released...

[Mike Neilson]

I know bet that those dick heads would never miss another hop harvest!! Bean Counters the demise of all business's

[Greig McGill]

Or the saviours... Just a bit of devils advocacy (and I have a few accountant friends, including some on here). :)

Watching the bottom line is a very smart thing. Brewing in the most economical way possible - ditto. The bit I hate is where the brewery makes something bland, or downright unpleasant because it's cheap, then uses clever and expensive marketing to convince people that they want to drink it. So the problem I have is not with the brewery really, or the marketers, but the people who need to learn to use their senses to evaluate "good" beer from "bad" beer, and drink accordingly, not just be swayed by shiny marketing.

That'll be a slow process, but it is happening. Look at where beer in NZ is now versus 5 years ago. Epic Pale Ale is almost mainstream, and beer snobs have changed their standard brand from Steinlager to Mac's or (grrr) Monteith's.

As consumers, we should be telling Lion that we applaud their bravery in making Brewjolais and other such adventurous beers, and that we don't want crappy half-assed seasonals like the Twisted (or whatever it was called) or the Amber. Email them. Be positive. I'm going to right now - who's in?

[Greig McGill]

Here's what I emailed them:

Hi guys,

I've always held the Mac's brand up as a good example that "the big boys can make good beer". Many of the Mac's range have historically compared well against many craft beers in terms of flavour and complexity. The epitome of this was realised in Mac's Brewjolais - just an exceptional beer. Sassy Red, also, was a stunner when it debuted, though in later years, I feel it's lost much of its hop flavour and become somewhat "dumbed down". Ditto Hoprocker, and Great White.

This dumbing down is what's concerning me, and causing me to take the time to write to you.

I have applauded the Mac's seasonal release idea, but the last two have been a massive disappointment. Taking Gold and adding lime is not really even a new beer, and the Amber has no hop character and very little to differentiate it from the extremely dull NZ Draught styles which I understood Mac's was all about escaping from.

Please take this as it is intended - constructively. I am a big craft beer fan, but constantly recommend Mac's beers to people just getting into "real" beer, and I always keep Hoprocker in the fridge to impress people who've only ever thought of beer as dull mainstream brown or gold lagers. I just want to see Mac's continue to grow and improve as a brand, so that I can continue to say "look, the big guys CAN do it too"! Don't follow the DB Monteith's brand down into the depths of mediocrity and marketing over flavour.

Hopefully and sincerely yours,

Greig McGill
Society of Beer Advocates

(I left out that I mainly use Epic Pale Ale to convert the heathens these days, but I wasn't lying about Hoprocker. It was a good gateway beer, and I do still use it on the less adventurous, and I always have some in the fridge)

[Greig McGill]

and the positive, if a little form-letter, reply:

Hi Greig,

Thank you for taking the time to email us.

We appreciate all feedback that we get, and will be sure to pass on your concerns to our marketing and brewing teams to take on board.

Kind Regards,

The Mac's Team

[Stu McKinlay]

positive?