Why it's hard to find a decent beer in many pubs (on tap)

[Guzz]

Competition probe circles beer makers Lion, Carlton & United

 

 

[Beerlust]

Hi Guzz.

 

Yup, same article link as Nigelinoz posted over in this thread recently.

 

I have a very personal interest in this discussion & the potential ramifications of where the eventual findings lead & may influence tap based beers in this country. I work in this industry & have done for the last 13-14yrs or so.

 

The "Duopoly" point stated by Glenn Cooper (Coopers) is spot on. Two international brewing conglomerates pretty much dominate the tap beers poured (as a rough guess), in around 80% of the pubs & bars in this country. This has to end (IMHO).

 

In recent years Coopers have almost been seen to be included in the same circles as the Lion-Nathan/SAB Miller duopoly. Let me assure you they aren't. As Glenn Cooper also stated in this same article, "...the brewery regards itself as the 'father - or even the grandfather' of craft brewing in Australia." And that they are, & a very successful Australian Owned, Controlled & Operated brewery. In a time where almost everything successful our country has built is being sold to overseas interests, I commend the Coopers family & shareholders for holding firm & keeping the company ownership in Australian hands when it could well have been sold to the Lion-Nathan group a little while ago.

 

I look at the Coopers Brewery as being the longest serving, hardest working, successful Craft Brewing beer company in Australia today. While they continue to be Australian owned/operated, & employ Australian workers, they will always have the support of my hard earned dollars by me purchasing their products above other competitors.

 

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE. OI OI OI!!

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony.

[Guzz]

I guess there is not much most of us can do except tell our local publicans that we would like to see more variety on the taps.

 

It's easy to judge people at the bar who order crap beer, but reading this you can't blame them for their ignorance when 90% of what they see at the bar is "what everyone else drinks", but the reason everyone else drinks it is not because it's good, it's because it is there and everyone else drinks it so it must be ok.

 

These monopolies and duopolies have a lot to answer for in this country.

 

If all was fair, and we had a choice of many great beers on tap, it would create real competition in the market and there would a lot of jobs created in Australia for Australians in the industry.

 

The end result would be better beer for all and some fine Australian made products available to the masses.

 

How about a tax break on Australian made beer.

 

Perhaps we need a new political party in Oz. "The Australian Beer Party"

[Beeblebrox]

I really just flicked through the article, but no real surprises there.

The reality is that craft and micro brewing, as well as home brewing is still not mainstream, and survives essentially on a bit of a cult following.

In my experience, the majority of beer drinkers experiment a little with different beers for the first few years when they start drinking, then pretty much settle for a style, if not a particular beer and stick to it.

 

In my case I was one of those, but started trying different beers maybe 15 years ago or so, and eventually came around to boutique, craft and microbrew beers, not because of any agenda or crusade to help out the smaller brewers (after all many of them get gobbled up by the big brewers if they have any level of success), but simply that mainstream "megaswill" beers tend to be a bit bland, watery and predictable.

 

There is no real bite or mouth feel in your typical VB, Tooheys, XXXX, Carlton, or what have you.

Mind you they can be okay as sessionable beers, but if you really want to savour your beer, and look at it from the same perspective as a foody may do with a meal, there is no comparison.

 

I still if offered would drink a Tooheys, or maybe even a Carlton type beer, but only if it was given to me in a social setting; I wouldn't buy it, the same as I wouldn't buy something I know I can do better at home so far as meals go.

 

I guess that's one of the benefits of home brewing; it opens you up to world of different options and flavours, and sometimes trying a few different beers can serve as inspiration as to what to do in your brewing.

 

Megaswill is what it is, and the big companies thrive on it, but it's mostly bland and forgettable.

You may hear people raving about a craft or homebrew beer after a drinking session, but you'll never hear a bunch of blokes comparing drinking notes and comparing flavours after a session on megaswill.

 

Of course it's rotten that the duopoly try to dominate the beers on tap, but the best solution there is that if you're going to a pub for a beer, go to the one with the craft beers on tap; they wouldn't be there if the publican didn't support the little guys, and since they know they will never be as big as the megaswill makers, they concentrate on doing what they do well, rather than appeal to the masses.

It's the opposite of what's happening in the wine industry; they're trying to capture the lower income market, and sell less than premium product.

The brewing industry has been going through a premiumisation, and us consumers are the better for it.

Just don't get conned into buying a beer that's expensive thinking it must be good; do a little homework and you can find some reasonably priced beers in the less than premium price range that are still worth a look.

You just have to hope they don't get snapped up by the duopoly if they get TOO popular. (Like Blue Tongue).