Note:  It will be helpful to read part one of this series first. I always chuckle when I read the description/mission statement of a witty blog I've followed throughout the years:  So That No Thought of Mine, No Matter How Stupid, Should Ever Go Unpublished Again. This statement--that provides a laugh at the expense of the author (who is actually quite bright)--sums up a problem with blogs, wikipedia, social networking, and the internet in general.  (Note that I said "A" problem, not "THE" problem.  I do not hope to go on record as having stated that these media are a blithe on humanity...I actually feel the opposite). How would I describe this problem?  Noise. The unfortunate side effect of mediums that provide unlimited freedom of speech and opinion, is that anyone and everyone with a loud voice or flashy site can instantly be deemed an expert, yours truly included.  Allow me to leave the beer world for a moment and delve in to the investment/finance world to prove my point.  A recent ING survey showed that 49% of young investors rely on financial websites and blogs, rather than the pre-webvolution generation that relied on certified, licensed, and trained financial planners.  If you peruse ...

Preface to this brief Op-Ed series: I have, and will continue to be critical of internet based technology, particularly social networking sites, which for practical purposes will include "blogs" alongside sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and/or Beer Advocate.  Why?  A reference to this article is as far as I'm will go in explanation at this point. Please keep in my that my irritation with such applications does not mean I render them useless or evil.  Obviously I maintain a blog, am active on Twitter, and enjoy the perks of FaceBook; though I have to take a break from time to time, and I place a higher priority on Social Networking scenarios that are not web based...such as having a beer and a cigar with a few buddies in my backyard. That being said, I want to explore how social networking is utilized/impacts the craft world. Part One Social Network Growth: Stating the obvious, Social Networking growth has been and continues to be exponential. I remembering hopping on a desktop back in 1993, logging on to a buddies AOL account, and attempting to chat (having donned a disguise as a 22 year old) with ladies.  Oh how our giggling anticipation mounted as we waited two ...

Across the board mirroring most industries, alcohol sales were down in 2009, beer being no exception with a drop in sales of about 2%.  Craft beer sales fared well despite the economic slump, with a sharp sales boost of 10.3% and a volume increase of 7.2%, according to the Brewers Association.  That's in influx of 613,992 additional barrels of quality, hand produced craft beer into the beer market.  Mosey on over to their site for more detailed information. In their article, the Brewer's Association states: In 2009, craft brewers represented 4.3 percent of volume and 6.9 percent of retail dollars for the total U.S. beer category. With the total U.S. beer industry representing an estimated retail dollar value of $101 billion, the Brewers Association estimates the actual dollar sales figure from craft brewers in 2009 was $7 billion, up from $6.3 billion in 2008. In the grand scheme of things, craft beer is still the needle in the haystack, but these figures have some profound implications.  First of all, Americans are drinking considerably less beer.  A nationwide drop of two percent is no small margin.  Second, some are clearly transmigrating to different suds.  And thirdly, and most importantly to me, there is room ...

There exists a huge dichotomy between marketing when it comes to Craft Brewers and Macro Brewers, as the product is so vastly different.  For the most part, beer marketing for the craft brewer is mainly word of mouth.  It is product focused.  The craft brewer works not only to get his/her product in the hands of the community and let the reviews, hype, and expectation do the work.  For this reason, community oriented social networking sites (Twitter/Facebook) are a God send. Macro brewers, on the other hand, are less product oriented and more trend oriented.  Instead of drumming up a reputation for the flavor of the beer, the macro brewer seems to drum a reputation for the brand of the beer.  On Super Bowl Sunday do the Macro Beer commercials lure you with testimonials of great pilsner flavor, or funny cool singing frogs? Thus said, I find myself enjoying beer marketing in a what-are-they-going-to-think-up-next sense.  That is, how will these macros convince the next generation of college kids their beer is the cool beer.  This is an important task, because for the most part, like Nascar fans, macro beer drinkers are loyal to their brand. Which brings me Natural Light's latest campaign. Like every ...