Beau’s Announces “B-Side Brewing Label”

[shintriad]

Sounds like an interesting concept: http://www.beaus.ca/news/jun-21-13/beau ... wing-label

Beau’s co-founder, Steve Beauchesne, explains that B-Side is “like a record label, but for beer. Not to sound too prolific or anything, but I think this project might totally change the way beer is sold in this province.” He adds: “B-Side is not about new beers from Beau’s — it’s us travelling the globe to meet cool, like-minded brewers, and then working with them to create authentic versions of their recipes we can brew fresh right here in Ontario.”

[Tapsucker]

Sounds like contract brewing and collaboration mashed together. The first beer got my interest until they got to the maple syrup part. Hopefully they will do some more disciplined recipes without all the adjuncts.

The problem I see is that Beaus, despite their size and sales force, still only has wide distribution for a few core beers. So many of their other great beers barely make it out of the Ottawa region (or even the brewery). I'd guess they would want to correct that before taking on more responsibilities.

[Cass]

Not to take anything away from Beau's, but I had a similar idea a long time ago, back when the LCBO didn't bring in as many US imports as they do now. I thought it would be cool to leverage the star power and branding of US breweries who weren't here, and brew their beers here. This way they skirt all the import regs. I guess it's actually going to happen!

[Kekumba]

The problem I see is that Beaus, despite their size and sales force, still only has wide distribution for a few core beers. So many of their other great beers barely make it out of the Ottawa region (or even the brewery). I'd guess they would want to correct that before taking on more responsibilities.

They've done fairly well recently; Winterbrewed, Strong Patrick, Festivale Plus, and soon enough Opa's Gose (next week as far as I know) and eventually the Tom Green Beer have all hit the LCBO. Not my ideal choices from their library, but it's something. That said, the $7.85 price tag for all their one-offs is what kind of puts me off. It was nice to see this Kissmeyer beer priced at $4.85 on the website. Personally I think the "core beers" need a makeover.

As for this new B-Side idea, I'm intrigued, but I'm not sure I fully understand it all right now.

[rejtable]

The problem I see is that Beaus, despite their size and sales force, still only has wide distribution for a few core beers. So many of their other great beers barely make it out of the Ottawa region (or even the brewery). I'd guess they would want to correct that before taking on more responsibilities.

Is there any reason to believe that, from their perspective, there is anything to correct? They get some beers across the province via the LCBO, they get lots of kegs around the province and they get lots of other stuff around the Ottawa region. At the rate they seem to be growing, it doesn't sound like they are having much trouble selling their beer. Are they?

I could see this being something that would be a bigger issue for them if there was a bottleneck and some of these "deeper cut" beers were not getting into willing mouths, but they seem to not last on the breweries' retail shelves very long, so they must be getting them out to someone.

[rejtable]

They've done fairly well recently; Winterbrewed, Strong Patrick, Festivale Plus, and soon enough Opa's Gose (next week as far as I know) and eventually the Tom Green Beer have all hit the LCBO. Not my ideal choices from their library, but it's something.

Don't forget Bog Water, IP Eh, and Sticke Alt. Not sure if those got distributed widely by the LCBO, but they were LCBO beers.

[TheSevenDuffs]

it doesn't sound like they are having much trouble selling their beer. Are they?

My personal opinion is that if Beau's doesn't improve the quality of their beer, they will begin to have issues selling their product, especially given how other Ontario breweries have raised the bar and given the number of new breweries entering the Ontario market. I have probably tried 10-12 Beau's beers and found 2, maybe 3 to be above average. The worst part is the lack of improvement (again IMO) over the past year or two. Although they have certainly increased their production and improved distribution (vastly), the product is the same old average Beau's beer.

They seem like great guys, and the organic thing is kinda cool, but that only sells beer for so long, especially in a market that is experiencing the growth that we've seen over the past year especially.

I find it odd that Beau's would venture in to an area like this before working to improve their own products.

Again, this is just my $0.02 but I know a few others who have also all buy given up on Beau's over the past year or so.

[rejtable]

I find it odd that Beau's would venture in to an area like this before working to improve their own products.

Again, this is just my $0.02 but I know a few others who have also all buy given up on Beau's over the past year or so.

Oh, I'm not going to argue the quality issue. I don't totally (or even mostly) disagree. But my question was "from their perspective". Forum complaints aside, they seem to be moving all the beer they can produce, and have been for a long time.

They also seem to be a pretty forward-looking brewery, so my bet is that they are generally making the beer they want to make and believe it is good and will sell. For years now they seem to be managing that last part pretty well, with or without my or your help.

Also, I'm not sure that this contract operation necessarily means that they can't improve the products they do have. The two things don't have to be mutually-exclusive, do they?

[Tapsucker]

it doesn't sound like they are having much trouble selling their beer. Are they?

My personal opinion is that if Beau's doesn't improve the quality of their beer, they will begin to have issues selling their product, especially given how other Ontario breweries have raised the bar and given the number of new breweries entering the Ontario market. I have probably tried 10-12 Beau's beers and found 2, maybe 3 to be above average. The worst part is the lack of improvement (again IMO) over the past year or two. Although they have certainly increased their production and improved distribution (vastly), the product is the same old average Beau's beer.

They seem like great guys, and the organic thing is kinda cool, but that only sells beer for so long, especially in a market that is experiencing the growth that we've seen over the past year especially.

I find it odd that Beau's would venture in to an area like this before working to improve their own products.

Again, this is just my $0.02 but I know a few others who have also all buy given up on Beau's over the past year or so.

For the record, I find their Lugtread and IP Eh to both be great beers, and yes I stand corrected, well distributed. The issue to me is the bottles. The crafty packaging is cute, especially for seasonals, but if they canned these two they could easily take a bigger chunk of the market.

[cfrancis]

For the record, I find their Lugtread and IP Eh to both be great beers, and yes I stand corrected, well distributed. The issue to me is the bottles. The crafty packaging is cute, especially for seasonals, but if they canned these two they could easily take a bigger chunk of the market.

100% agreed. After coming back from Germany a few times and doing blind tasting of Lug Tread with Fruh, Gaffel and Reisdorf. They are right there with the Kolsch style.

I just got my hands on some fresh Frankenheim, Uriege and Schumacher. So I just picked up Festivale and Sticke alt to try that blind tasting. Last time I did it with Festivale and Rescousse from DDC. Without the spalt select hop, most North American breweries have issues really re-creating a true altbier.

[The Mick]

The problem I see is that Beaus, despite their size and sales force, still only has wide distribution for a few core beers. So many of their other great beers barely make it out of the Ottawa region (or even the brewery). I'd guess they would want to correct that before taking on more responsibilities.

It must be really annoying when a brewery in the province releases a new beer and it takes weeks or even months after that for it to make to one of your locals....or even a single spot in your city....I wonder what that's like?

[MatttthewGeorge]

I just got my hands on some fresh Frankenheim, Uriege and Schumacher. So I just picked up Festivale and Sticke alt to try that blind tasting. Last time I did it with Festivale and Rescousse from DDC. Without the spalt select hop, most North American breweries have issues really re-creating a true altbier.

Have you had the Alt from Killannan out of Owen Sound? I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts since you seem to understand they style much more than I do.

[Kel Varnsen]

They've done fairly well recently; Winterbrewed, Strong Patrick, Festivale Plus, and soon enough Opa's Gose (next week as far as I know) and eventually the Tom Green Beer have all hit the LCBO. Not my ideal choices from their library, but it's something.

Don't forget Bog Water, IP Eh, and Sticke Alt. Not sure if those got distributed widely by the LCBO, but they were LCBO beers.

There Best of Beau's 4 pack has also made it to the LCBO.

As far as province wide distribution, it seems like with critics it is a no win situation. I mean they keep things and tightly controlled and people complain that they can't get Beau's in some far off part of Ontario. But if they were to do a huge expansion, increase production so that they were in every LCBO, I bet just as many people would complain about how they became a mass market brewery with lower quality products.

As far as distribution goes, why bother spending extra money shipping beer all over the province, when you can sell everything you produce in the stores you are delivering to now?

[TheSevenDuffs]

As far as distribution goes, why bother spending extra money shipping beer all over the province, when you can sell everything you produce in the stores you are delivering to now?

Because you make even more money than you spend...

[Kel Varnsen]

As far as distribution goes, why bother spending extra money shipping beer all over the province, when you can sell everything you produce in the stores you are delivering to now?

Because you make even more money than you spend...

How does that make sense? I mean they are limited in how much they can produce based on the size of their brewhouse and the number of tanks they have. Let's say for simplicity's sake they could only produce 1000 bottles of beer. If they could sell all 1000 bottles of beer in Ottawa (and the price is constant all through the province) why would you drive 500 of those bottles to Toronto and sell them there (when the cost of delivery would just eat into your profit)?

The other important thing I think to remember is that Lugtread and the core 4 seasonals are probably what pay the bills. The other one offs are nice products are nice, and get the brewery a ton of exposure, but selling those main beers is what makes money. So from a financial point of view I think you have to calculate how much time you spend making say a Belgian IPA or a Milk Stout compared to how much time you spend making Lugtread (when you pretty much know the cost of making lugtread, and that it will sell).