I recently visited a brewery that was located in a new planned housing development in a suburban city in central Pennsylvania. It wasn’t that easy to find, being surrounded by shiny new townhomes and circuitous streets names Station Circle and Cider Press Drive. But an beer oasis if there ever was one, and I was eager to sample what’s brewing.
The tap list was a bit of a surprise. The styles and ABV (Alcohol by Volume) were:
- American Light Lager – 4.5%
- West Coast IPA – 7.2%
- Herbed Cider – 6.5%
- Pear Vanilla CIder – 5.2%
- Wildflower Honey Mead – 8.1%
- American Amber Maple Lager – 6.3%
- Mexican Lager – 5.5%
- Milkshake Mead – 8.4%
- Lemon Shandy – 5%
- New England IPA – 6.5%
- Hard Soda – Cream Soda – 5%
- Farmhouse Ale – 7%
A even dozen offerings on tap, but is this really a beer brewery? Only half of the tap list are even beers and those include a Maple lager and Sour Farmhouse Ale. So that means that of the 12 beverages on tap, only four are really “beer tasting beers” (and two of those are “light lagers” meaning minimal or no significant taste at all). No pale ales, pilsners or stout styles to be found, instead a diversity of flavor forward alcoholic beverage alternatives and a couple of beers.
In comparison, let’s look at what’s on tap at another suburban PA brewery, located on a major thoroughfare a bit west of Philadelphia – a brewery of a similar size:
- Belgian Tripel – 9%
- Dark English Mild – 3.8%
- Imperial IPA – 8.2%
- Cold IPA – 6%
- Schwarzbier (Dark Lager) – 5.4%
- Whitbier (wheat) – 4.8%
- Pilsner – 5.3%
- Sour Farmhouse (Brett) – 6%
- New England IPA – 6.5%
- American IPA – 6%
- American IPA – 7.2%
- Lager – 4.5%
- Cider 5.5%
- Cask – Dark Lager – 5.4%
A full 14 selections, with 13 beers and one cider on the tap list. There are some interesting beer styles (English Mild, Belgian Triple, Dark Lager) and 5 different IPA’s, a pilsner and light lager. Much more diversity of beer styles and types, many more “beer flavored beers”, and less diversity of alternative beverage types than brewery #1.
And beyond the styles themselves, the ABV ranges are different. The first tap list features 5 beverages at 5.5% or below – though only 2 are beers. Of these 6 beer offerings, after the light lagers the ABV is 6.3 – 7.2% – and the Meads clock in at 8.2% at least. Good thing that you can walk there from your townhouse (though walking back could be troublesome). The second brewery’s tap list (14 offerings) show 5 beverages under 5.5%, with only an Imperial IPA and Belgian triple rising to 9%. There are four beers listed in the 6 – 6.5% range, which is considered more or less “standard” craft ABV levels.
What can we learn from these two lists? Without a real marketing study, one has to make suppositions – but they are some things to consider. The first brewery in the housing development cul-de-sac seems to be looking for drinkers in their mid 20’s and thirties – those later Gen Z and younger Millennials. I base this assumption on the diversity of beverage offerings (Cider, Shandy, Mead and Hard Soda) and the fact that in a neighborhood of new townhomes, that would fit those demographics.
Plus, it is no secret that women like beer much less than men (latest Harris poll reports that of those who say they drink – 54% of the men preferred beer while only 17% of the women did.). So if you want to bring in the young family (with kids on none) – you better have few beer alternatives.
Interestingly that the first brewery is offering high alcohol content beer alternatives (Meads) while the second one also have high ABV choices, though beers. So, it’s not just a difference in “health” preference – as the higher ABV selections are there at both, though the first one offers the potent non-beer options.
The second brewery’s list would suggest that this is a brewery for real beer fans, with a wide variety of beer styles and few non-beer choices. This would suggest a somewhat older target market of mature Millennials and even younger Gen Xers. Located on a major thoroughfare in a larger more urban setting would appear to fit that demographic.
Then there is always the outlier brew pub (“Off Centered” as Sam from Dogfish used to call it) this one is not more than 10 miles from the second brewery in a small downtown suburban area. Some current examples at this brewery include:
- Imperial Stout -10%
- Extra Vanilla Milkshake Double IPA – 9.2%
- Saison with Cherries – 5.5%
- Double IPA – 9.2%
- Oat, Wheat, Rye Triple IPA with Honey – 14%
- Helles Lager – 4.8%
- Kolsch – 4.8%
Who are they trying to appeal to here? The higher ABV non-beer flavor forward styles like the Milkshake IPA’s suggest the younger crowd for sure, but there are few non-beer alternatives listed, suggesting that the customer-gender is skewed toward males (bro).
The bottom line is that today’s smaller local breweries are offering diversity, flavor and differing alcoholic alternatives to today’s drinking consumer. The growing popularity of non-beer flavored beer, and desire for new and different drinking and flavor experiences are driving breweries to try just about any idea that customers may want. (I swear at one point the third brewery listed here one offered an “apple cider donut double milkshake IPA” at 9%).
The craft beer niche is being pressured from all sides – ready to drink cocktails, hard soda, seltzer, NA beers and spiked fruit drinks. So, brewers – let creativity reign, know your customers, and keep on brewing (please just have at least a couple of classic beer styles – beer flavored beers on for us “old dog” beer appreciators who aren’t into all new tricks.)
