Just the other day I posted about how we need a special website just to track collaborative beers.

IPA’s are going to continue being a coveted beer because of the new hops like Nelson Sauvin that seem to come out of the woodwork.

I heartily concur with simply enjoying the next beer, whatever the style. I do not want to limit myself to Monster beers. Give me the Bruery’s Mischief over Black Tuesday any day of the week.

BUT…

This is only within the craft beer community.

Case in point, I have a few friends who drink a whole bunch of cheap Macro. But if you talk to them about better beer, they LOVE ipa. If they go to the local bar with a better selection, IF they stray from the $2 domestic drafts, they hit up the IPA. It will be a long time before IPA is uprooted at all levels.

Regardless, I share your sentiments. What’s next for me is just good beer!

I thought about another point about the collaborative beers after my last post. There’s a high incentive to do these beers, because they’re almost guaranteed to sell out. It’s the same with the anniversary beers and the annual vertical series. So if you look at Stone in particular, they’re usually good for 2-3 collaborations a year, plus Vertical Epic, plus Anniversary Ale, all of which will sell very well. If they spent those cycles making more IPA, Pale Ale, or Arrogant Bastard, I guarantee their sales numbers would be much lower.