Beau's Exporting to NY

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 8:33 am

I find it a bit odd why more Ontario craft breweries don't do this. Certainly many of the Quebec guys have built strong footholds in some states. Well done Beau's for the expansion.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/O ... story.html

Bytowner · Post by **Bytowner** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 8:35 am

I'm more of a Beau's fan than most on here, but I find this surprising. Surely they don't believe there's a market for Lugtread in New York... (perhaps that's covered in the article, but I'm pay walled!)

EDIT: Huh, I guess Tom Green will be a regular then. Interesting.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 8:38 am

Interesting. I wish them the best, but I worry that Beau's lacks the quality to compete on American shelves.

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:57 am

TheSevenDuffs wrote:Interesting. I wish them the best, but I worry that Beau's lacks the quality to compete on American shelves.

Regardless, I think that it's great that they're trying. Ontario is very insular and it's nice to see Beau's giving the US market a shot.

Bytowner · Post by **Bytowner** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 10:18 am

Should also never forget that there is a load of crap on American shelves. It's not Captain Lawrence vs. Beau's. It's Captain Lawrence, quality out-of-staters, and a hodge podge of incosistent nonentities vs. Beau's. Could be that Beau's top notch marketing serves it well, as it has here.

atomeyes · Post by **atomeyes** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 12:39 pm

Beau's beer is meh.
their packaging/labeling? i love it.

in the States, their labeling will get them sales.

Kel Varnsen · Post by **Kel Varnsen** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 1:51 pm

atomeyes wrote:Beau's beer is meh.
their packaging/labeling? i love it.

in the States, their labeling will get them sales.

Exactly, I can easily see Canadian craft beer in cool bottles being enough of a novelty to generate sales at least at the start. And then depending on price point I can easily see it competing with beers like say Brooklyn Lager or that sort of thing.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:18 pm

atomeyes wrote:Beau's beer is meh.
their packaging/labeling? i love it.

in the States, their labeling will get them sales.

It might generate initial sales, but now matter how nice a label is, repeat business will require good beer. And when your competition includes the likes of Founders, Bell's. Firestone Walker, The Bruery, Great Divide, Stone, Ballast Point, AleSmith, Maine and Sierra Nevada (among MANY others), the bar is set pretty high.

Kel Varnsen · Post by **Kel Varnsen** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:46 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:
atomeyes wrote:Beau's beer is meh.
their packaging/labeling? i love it.

in the States, their labeling will get them sales.
It might generate initial sales, but now matter how nice a label is, repeat business will require good beer. And when your competition includes the likes of Founders, Bell's. Firestone Walker, The Bruery, Great Divide, Stone, Ballast Point, AleSmith, Maine and Sierra Nevada (among MANY others), the bar is set pretty high.

Except for the most part they probably won't be directly competing with those beers. I mean I am sure there are a ton of people out there who drink lug tread regularly who have never tried Twice as Mad Tom or Boneshaker. Just like in the US there are tons of people who Drink Boston Lager or SNPA or Brooklyn lager regularly, who have never tried KBS or Wookey Jack or Sculpin. The competition for Lug Tread won't be the well made extreme beers, the same way it isn't in in Ontario.

midlife crisis · Post by **midlife crisis** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 2:48 pm

Yes but Beaus has carved out a real niche in the craft-yet-accessible segment, relying on excellent marketing and decent if unchallenging beer. Much like Steamwhistle. No reason why that formula can't work in NY state. FWIW they will have the novelty of being Canadian too. EDIT: I was replying to the post two above, agree with Kel's points above.

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:12 pm

im interested in what lug tread will retail for in the states

its just under $4/bottle here, hardly a session worthy price, and i dont think exporting it will make it cheaper

if they are going after the SNPA, Brooklyn Lager crowd they will be priced above what those customers are paying currently

Kel Varnsen · Post by **Kel Varnsen** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:22 pm

matt7215 wrote:im interested in what lug tread will retail for in the states

its just under $4/bottle here, hardly a session worthy price, and i dont think exporting it will make it cheaper

if they are going after the SNPA, Brooklyn Lager crowd they will be priced above what those customers are paying currently

Except how much of that $4 a bottle is taxes, which wouldn't necessarily be charged on a beer sold in New York State?

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:28 pm

Kel Varnsen wrote:
matt7215 wrote:im interested in what lug tread will retail for in the states

its just under $4/bottle here, hardly a session worthy price, and i dont think exporting it will make it cheaper

if they are going after the SNPA, Brooklyn Lager crowd they will be priced above what those customers are paying currently
Except how much of that $4 a bottle is taxes, which wouldn't necessarily be charged on a beer sold in New York State?

you think that it will retail for less the $4/bottle in the states?

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:30 pm

Kel Varnsen wrote:
TheSevenDuffs wrote:
atomeyes wrote:Beau's beer is meh.
their packaging/labeling? i love it.

in the States, their labeling will get them sales.
It might generate initial sales, but now matter how nice a label is, repeat business will require good beer. And when your competition includes the likes of Founders, Bell's. Firestone Walker, The Bruery, Great Divide, Stone, Ballast Point, AleSmith, Maine and Sierra Nevada (among MANY others), the bar is set pretty high.
Except for the most part they probably won't be directly competing with those beers. I mean I am sure there are a ton of people out there who drink lug tread regularly who have never tried Twice as Mad Tom or Boneshaker. Just like in the US there are tons of people who Drink Boston Lager or SNPA or Brooklyn lager regularly, who have never tried KBS or Wookey Jack or Sculpin. The competition for Lug Tread won't be the well made extreme beers, the same way it isn't in in Ontario.

That's a fair comment. I guess this debate is almost pointless without knowing which beers they plan to distribute stateside.

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:32 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:
Kel Varnsen wrote:
TheSevenDuffs wrote:It might generate initial sales, but now matter how nice a label is, repeat business will require good beer. And when your competition includes the likes of Founders, Bell's. Firestone Walker, The Bruery, Great Divide, Stone, Ballast Point, AleSmith, Maine and Sierra Nevada (among MANY others), the bar is set pretty high.
Except for the most part they probably won't be directly competing with those beers. I mean I am sure there are a ton of people out there who drink lug tread regularly who have never tried Twice as Mad Tom or Boneshaker. Just like in the US there are tons of people who Drink Boston Lager or SNPA or Brooklyn lager regularly, who have never tried KBS or Wookey Jack or Sculpin. The competition for Lug Tread won't be the well made extreme beers, the same way it isn't in in Ontario.
That's a fair comment. I guess this debate is almost pointless without knowing which beers they plan to distribute stateside.

Lugtread and Tom Green