I don’t think I’ve ever written a reaction article but after listening to a recent episode of the Cincy Brewcast, it had to be done. The episode topic was craft lagers and it caused me to do some deep thinking on this category of beer.
So let’s set the stage . . . .
If you aren’t aware, local beer aficionado, The Gnarly Gnome, hosts a weekly podcast focused on Cincinnati beer. Most of the time this means chatting with local brewers, brewery owners, etc. They talk trends, styles, and anything else that comes up. He’s the strongest advocate for local beer that I’ve ever met. If you love beer, check out his website, listen to his podcast, watch him on YouTube, read what he writes, follow on him social, and generally try to be more like him.
Gnarly loves big ideas so he collected a group of people for an episode focused on lagers. He’s a huge fan of lager beer so he wanted to learn more about why this style is important and what may be stopping lager from being even bigger.
So that’s the background on the episode, here’s a bit of background on my opinion of lagers.
. . . They’re ok . . . .
It isn’t my go-to category of beer. However, that’s because when I hear lager, I think Pilsner or American Lager or Light Lager. But the reality is I really like some lagers, for example dark lagers (Schwarbier), Bock, Oktoberfest, Dunkel, etc.
So, let’s dive back into my reaction to the podcast. Part of the discussion was focused on why more aren’t consuming more locally brewed craft lagers.
I have some ideas on why craft lagers aren’t as popular as other styles; like IPA. But first thing first, go listen to the podcast, click the image below. After listening, check out my thoughts below.
Why Craft Lagers Aren’t More Popular
Category / Style Confusion
Even for those that follow craft beer, the term lager isn’t easy to understand. It is a method of brewing but also an entire category of beer but also an individual style. Imagine walking into a brewery and asking the beertender about their American Lager and their response is:
“Our American Lager is a Lager style Lager that’s been Lagered for 30 days.”
That customer is probably going to order the Blonde or IPA. Those on the podcast kept preaching education as the solution but most aren’t looking for a lecture on beer styles.
Every beer geek reading this has had that moment when we saw the eyes roll back in the head of our friends and family as we explain subtle differences in styles. Average beer lovers just want to drink a great beer without needing to know much else about it.
The solution, time and clarity.
Danny Herold of Sonder may have had the best comment of the episode when he said that local breweries must ban together and support the same style lagers collectively to see widespread change.
Do you know why everyone knows what an IPA is? Because every brewery they’ve ever been to has at least one on tap. Danny references Dortmunder as a style that most consumers won’t order simply because they don’t know what it is. But if they start seeing that same style at every brewery they visit, then it becomes approachable.
Style Names
I could write for hours on how our industry hurts itself with the names of styles of beer. For example, what’s an IPL vs a Hoppy Pilsner vs an American Pilsner?
And it isn’t just new styles either. Currently, there’s some good momentum around Schwarbier . . . or do we call it dark lager? If those making the beer can’t agree on what to call it, how will the consumer ever understand it.
The solution, consistency
Common terminology should be used to unite the industry and educate the consumer. The dark lager vs Schwarbier is just an example but it proves the point. If someone tries a Scwharbier at one brewery then goes to another and sees a dark lager, will they know it is the same style? Probably not and it will cause confusion and probably deter them from buying it.
The Light Lager Issue
Even if a craft brewery makes a Light Lager, they should never call it that or refer to it that way. Using the word Light puts that beer in the same category as every other American Light beer. And that isn’t a good thing. Those drinking craft beer (and paying the premium for it) want something better.
Calling it Light makes them think it will taste like the watered down beer they’ve always known.
The solution, just call it a Lager
I know that’s pretty basic but it is true. Make sure they know they are getting a real beer that is so much better than any Light beer they’ve had.
Brewers Preference Vs Drinkers Preference
One of the most common arguments I hear about the need for more Lagers is that the brewers all drink it. And I have no doubt that this is accurate. In fact, it seems like many actually drink Macro Lagers just as much as Craft Lagers.
Because of their affinity for this style, they want to make more of it and help others discover it as well. The ideas is well intended but it is more important to listen to what the customer is asking for through their buying habits.
The solution, sell what people like
The consumers will tell you exactly what to do or not do based on their spending habits. Brew the beer they buy. Over time, what they want will shift. So don’t be surprised if we see a surge in Lager for a few years just to see it move back to hoppy or fruity beers.
The Price War
This may be the hardest issue to overcome. Mass produced Light Lagers are notoriously inexpensive and sold in huge packs. But Craft Lager isn’t cheap.
Without diving into the debate about ingredients, tank time, etc for Ales vs Lagers, we can all agree that competing on price with Macro Beer isn’t a fair fight. Many beer drinkers will find it hard to justify spending more for the same (or similar) style of beer from a craft brewery.
The solution, lower priced Lager at breweries
The opportunity is showing beer drinkers that their Craft Lagers are truly better than the Macro versions. To do this, get them to try it when they are at your brewery. And the best way to do that is to lower the price.
When faced with ordering a $6 beer, does it make sense to order the beer that appears to be similar to every Macro Lager you’ve ever had or try something new and exciting?
But if that beer was only $4 . . . then you capture their attention. Hopefully, they try it, love it, and realize there is a huge difference compared to those mass produced beers. If all goes well, they drink more craft lagers.
Final Thoughts On Craft Lagers
We’ve all probably heard “if you think you don’t like beer, you’ve just not tried the right one yet”. You could say the same thing about Craft Lagers. If you don’t like Lagers, you probably need to try some different styles of Lager.
When it comes to increasing how much Lager we consume, I can’t predict the future. What I’ve noticed so far is that those in the industry tends to talk about a huge surge for Lagers coming but it never does. Instead, we see a new version of IPA gain popularity or we see a shift towards hard seltzers.
Just when we think Lagers on the verge of becoming popular, they don’t. Lagers will always have an important place in craft beer and the thoughts and solutions above could be what will helps move the needle and get more Lagers into more hands.