Spotted this link on beernews.org just now.
It looks like beer and particularly Belgian beer has become popular enough that folks want to open a chain of cafes here in the US. Think.. well, the Starbucks of beer in a way.
To get at what drives that impression to me look at the way they describe the beer list: "Only authentic Belgian beers are available in eight different styles: Abbey, Amber, Fruit, Gueuze, Lager, Specialty, Trappist and Wheat." I don't know about you, but I can't parse that in much of a meaningful way. Hell, if we're going to think about this from a truly Belgian perspective then where are the Blondes and the Brunes?
It's also telling that their trial location is the Newark Airport. Not just for the trapped clientele of an airport location, but for the fact that Newark is a starting point for a great number of US to Europe flights.
Does my reaction carry a little of that holier than thou hipster thing? You know the one that goes "this band was good until they sold out and became popular". If I'm being entirely honest, then yes, definitely. I look at the remarkable growth of gastropubs here in LA and think that most of them are riding a cynical wave of "hot trend" to grab the dinero.
But there's something else to it. One of my favorite aspects of the good beer scene has been the "homegrown" nature of it. I like the fact that I can go to a number of places and end up talking with people who legitimately love beer and the folks around it. While a place like these cafes may be slick and "safe", they don't hold a sinner's chance in hell of feeling as real as the Stuffed Sandwich or Lucky's or even the slickest of them Father's Office. I doubt I'll be able to go into one of them and get to know them like I know the folks at our locals.
At the same time, if I find myself stuck in Newark, I'll thank my lucky stars if there's a place to go get a decent glass of beer, even if most of it is provided by concept owner's Anheuser-Busch InBev. (Admittedly though, the last time I flew through Newark there was a Brooklyn Brewing bar in the airport that was a life saver)
What do you think? Am I loaded down with too much "oh noes, my little scene is growing" or is it legit? If they open one of these spots in LA would you go?
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Comments
It's probably a step in the right direction, especially for an airport where selections are generally terrible. However, anytime I see "mass market" and "beer" in the same sentence, it makes me cringe. I'm worried they will feature something like Stella too much instead of trying to focus on the smaller breweries than make Belgians so unique.
Since the cafe concept is owned in part by AB-I, you can bet your sweet bippy that you'll see Stella, Leffe and Hoegaarden on tap.
If you're ever stuck in Chicago O'Hare, there is a Goose Island Alehouse that serves one of the best Belgian Strong Dark's I've had. Lots of medium fruit from the esters, a little peppery phenols, and just a hint of fusels. Had some on my way to Brussels this Spring; it was five days until I had a better beer. We do have a few places. Quadrupel in Pasadena and Blair's Restaurant in Silverlake come to mind. If they would only open one in the West Valley.
I wonder if the spurt of local gastropubs featuring mostly the same line up of AB-I distributed beers was the inspiration for this "new" concept. Re your last line of "If they opened one in LA...", how would it be different from "prohibition burgers and beer" or "the local peasant". (btw, the peasant has good food).
PS: People are never "Stuck" in Newark, they are having the pleasure of experiencing one of the gateways to the great state of New Jersey.
The only reason to be glad to be stuck in Newark is the knowledge you'll be leaving soon!
And on the ABI front, the biggest benefit for them in all the brands, the "Shocktops", the CBA deals with Redhook, Goose Island, etc has been this ability to present a complete beer menu to bar owners. Kinda like "Beer Bar in a Box" and they get to own the whole (or nearly the whole) lineup.
As for the difference between this and Local Peasant or Prohibition (are they open yet?), at least those guys can claim the notion of being local. This is pure Corporate malarkey!
yep, Prohibition has been open for a couple of months. Food is so-so and a bit over priced. Beer selection is the typical "Beer Bar in a Box" lineup. :)
Why did the hipster burn his mouth on the soup? He ate it before it was cool.
Overall I think that the mass-marketing of beer in that fashion is a net positive trend. Sure it looks a heck of a lot like cheapening of the beer culture from our point of view, but I think it's more of a sign of desperation on the part of the major brewers. They are losing market share at a frightening rate and they're grasping at straws to keep growing. That's why we have things like Blue Moon and the "great Michelob flowering". We know they're factory brew made to appeal to a micro n' import crowd. The thing is, in a way, this is what winning the revolution looks like. The founding Falcons began to make it themselves because the store-bought stuff was unsatisfactory. We preach about the higher purpose of flavorful beer, looking for old-world brewing traditions and then making it up as we go along. The big guys have finally noticed, now that the little guys have started eating their lunch. We, the beer nuts have changed the world, I think for the better. We have to expect that the marketers will get into the act. It shouldn't be a surprise. A connoisseur will be able to tell the hype from the hop. And the craft will continue to evolve and break new ground. That's still us. And Joe Twelvepack out there will still just want to get drunk and make fun of us geeks. The difference is that now he's got a twelve pack of Sierra Nevada.