The thing I dont get is that you could have a lager from a micro brewer... why go macro? A non beer drinker comes in, orders a bud and you give em a micro lager. They wont know the difference....

quote: Originally posted by mitchforgie They wont know the difference....

But they won't come in in the first place. Be happy these beers are on the list. They keep some level of nice cash flowing into the business so you can continue to enjoy all of the craft beers. Same at the liquor stores. They get a good chunk of their money from the higher volume macros. Helps keep my prices down. Cheers to them. Who the heck cares if folks see that big list and like the macros? No difference to me and it's hard to argue that a selection with three more craft brews would be dramatically better.

I go to the Beachcomber in Florence, OR. They have 20 brews on tap. They keep Bud and coors lite on tap. It is their bread and butter. The other 18 are ever changing. I get up there once a week. Dont allways come home with a growler. But it is nice to have a place close to get good beer. In 3 weeks Black Butte XXIII will be in. 2 growlers cleaned and ready.

I get it, it brings them in... I just speak as a restaurateur for years, no one phones ahead to find out if bud is on the menu.. and once there they are happy with their lager no matter where it comes from. My restaurant now gets Alberta Genuine Draft brewed by Big Rock out of Calgary for way less than we can get any other beer. Its still swill, but I have never had a customer complain... I don't doubt that some markets are different, its just my perspective. I feel like many swill drinkers infact will be drawn to that bar just because of how many taps there are, its a marketing feature, even if they don't order from them. I also have a interest in the neighbourhood brew pub. They have bottles of stella. All the taps are their beers, mostly entry level run of the mill styles, but quite good. The same 24 stellas bought at opening are still in the fridge.

I dont think that having Bud, Coors, or Miller is a big pull in. What I think it is, Many people get confused with micros. They just dont know what they like. I see it all the time at the store, people standing there staring at the beers. I offer help....many dont understand what hops are. I have a buddy at work that had no idea what good beer was about. I had to bring him along slowly. Now he knows that hes not a hophead. But that boy sure loves his stouts and porters now. Taking that first step away from the swill they have known all thier lifes is hard. We have been told for 50 years that Bud is the king of beers. And that is hard to break. On the other hand, maybe some people just realy do like swill.

quote: Originally posted by mikemorrow ... What I think it is, Many people get confused with micros. They just dont know what they like...

This. Exactly. It is extremely overwhelming. And full of strange words like "ipa" and "bock."

My sister in law owns a handful of bars that serve a lot of macros, one in the Toronto area, and 2 in the Boston area 1) If you replace a Bud/Miller/Coors with a similar micro - people DO notice. I can easily taste the difference between a Molson Canadian and Creemore Springs Lager, or a Budweiser and Brooklyn Lager. 2) If you have 48 micros on tap and only 2 macros, and your macros are all out - you WILL lose business. One of the bars my sister in law owns loses 85% of it's business when the macro taps are empty. We all like to think that our micro beer is better, but the vast majority still likes their swill. You can't get around that. I recently visted a large well known bar in Los Angeles that has 50 micros on tap (83% of the taps) including beers from Stone, AleSmith and Russian River, and 80% of their sales are Bud, Miller, Bud Light, and PBR.........and the owner will tell you that it's those beers that allow him to keep the other 50. I'm also not sure you are aware, but Canadian law requires you to let a patron know if you gave them something other than what they ordered (i.e. if you are served pepsi when you ordered coca-cola, and they didn't tell you, that's a $5,000 fine for a first offense in all provinces except Quebec, where it's $7,500). You reserve the rihgt to make substitutions, but only with the customer's consent!

quote: Originally posted by PaulCardom My sister in law owns a handful of bars that serve a lot of macros, one in the Toronto area, and 2 in the Boston area 1) If you replace a Bud/Miller/Coors with a similar micro - people DO notice. I can easily taste the difference between a Molson Canadian and Creemore Springs Lager, or a Budweiser and Brooklyn Lager. 2) If you have 48 micros on tap and only 2 macros, and your macros are all out - you WILL lose business. One of the bars my sister in law owns loses 85% of it's business when the macro taps are empty. We all like to think that our micro beer is better, but the vast majority still likes their swill. You can't get around that. I recently visted a large well known bar in Los Angeles that has 50 micros on tap (83% of the taps) including beers from Stone, AleSmith and Russian River, and 80% of their sales are Bud, Miller, Bud Light, and PBR.........and the owner will tell you that it's those beers that allow him to keep the other 50. I'm also not sure you are aware, but Canadian law requires you to let a patron know if you gave them something other than what they ordered (i.e. if you are served pepsi when you ordered coca-cola, and they didn't tell you, that's a $5,000 fine for a first offense in all provinces except Quebec, where it's $7,500). You reserve the rihgt to make substitutions, but only with the customer's consent!

This. Doesn't make sense to our wonderful beer sensories, but it is what it is. The dollars don't lie. Be content with a couple of many taps catering to the swillers. Two less selections isn't gonna hurt ya.

$$$s and sense: you can also bring your swill drinking buddies while you enjoy the good stuff. Something for everyone = win/win.

As of March 1, 2013: 1. ANGRY ORCHARD 2. SOMERSBY APPLE CIDER 3. PABST BLUE RIBBON 4. ABITA PURPLE HAZE 5. NEW BELGIUM FAT TIRE 6. MAGIC HAT #9 7. ALLAGASH BLACK 8. ALLAGASH WHITE 9. SWEETWATER 420 10. SWEETWATER IPA 11. SWEETWATER lowRYEder IPA 12. BELL’S OBERON 13. BELLS AMBER ALE 14 COAST DEAD ARM PALE ALE 15. COAST EVENT AMERICAN MILD 16. WESTBROOK CITRUS NINJA 17. SIERRA NEVADA TORPEDO 18. CHIMAY TRIPEL 19. WELLS DOUBLE CHOCOLATE STOUT 20. STONE ARROGANT BASTARD 21. STONE IPA 22. STONE SAISON Du BUFF 23. GREEN FLASH IMPERIAL IPA 24. VICTORY DONNEYBROOK 25. NEW BELGIUM SUPER 26. HARPOON LEVIATHAN BALTIC PORTER 27. ANDERSON VALLEY BARNEY FLATS 28. OMMEGANG RARE VOS 29. OSKAR BLUES MAMA’S LITTLE YELLA PILS 30. OSKAR BLUES DALES PALE ALE 31. FOUNDERS BREAKFAST STOUT 32. WESTBROOK BEARDED FARMER 33. WESTBROOK AMARILLO 34. WESTBROOK DARK HELMET 35. WESTBROOK NELSON SAUVIN 35. WESTBROOK CITRA RYE Still a great good list, even with PBR.