Uxbridge start-up wants you to fill out the survey

[atomeyes]

http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/uxbridg ... idge-beer/

some of the questions asked on this survey make me shake my head.

are these people in the business for passion or for profit?

[mahcinesquad]

I think the business side of things are important. If you want to start a brewery purely out of passion and don't care/have no clue about your surrounding market, you likely won't last long. It's a lot of time, money and effort to gamble solely on passion.

I didn't think the survey was bad. To me it looked like they were collecting info on what beer styles people like (hopefully people give something other than light beer), asked how you are convinced to try new styles and new brands, how and when you purchase beer (do they need a brewery store and what hours should it keep) and what format you like to buy your beer in.

[atomeyes]

I think the business side of things are important. If you want to start a brewery purely out of passion and don't care/have no clue about your surrounding market, you likely won't last long. It's a lot of time, money and effort to gamble solely on passion.

I didn't think the survey was bad. To me it looked like they were collecting info on what beer styles people like (hopefully people give something other than light beer), asked how you are convinced to try new styles and new brands, how and when you purchase beer (do they need a brewery store and what hours should it keep) and what format you like to buy your beer in.

asking how people buy beer is basically saying "we'll make whatever it takes to sell", as opposed to "this is what we make, we know it's good, please buy it."

not expecting them to break any ground with what they produce if this is their approach. and if you have to do market research to figure out what people buy beer (asking if it is price, packaging, name, etc) then i would take it that you are more into moving volume and don't care at all about your quality of product. was "taste" even an option?

[Craig]

Uxbridge isn't a huge market. If they're not getting in the LCBO right away, they won't survive if they don't make a beer the locals will buy.Plus they had a few questions in there that were clearly geared toward figuring out the best way of getting people to try new styles. Even if it is a passion project, why shouldn't they have at least one beer that appeals to the masses in their local market? Having a lager around doesn't mean they can't also put out a saison or whatever.

Another way of looking at it would be they want to open a brewery and they're interested in actually providing locals a way to get fresh beer in the styles they like.

[Kel Varnsen]

Uxbridge isn't a huge market. If they're not getting in the LCBO right away, they won't survive if they don't make a beer the locals will buy.Plus they had a few questions in there that were clearly geared toward figuring out the best way of getting people to try new styles. Even if it is a passion project, why shouldn't they have at least one beer that appeals to the masses in their local market? Having a lager around doesn't mean they can't also put out a saison or whatever.

Another way of looking at it would be they want to open a brewery and they're interested in actually providing locals a way to get fresh beer in the styles they like.

Exactly. I am not sure what the problem with asking what people like, and then making it for them. Especially if the product they do end up making is well made. I mean isn't that how most of the breweries in ontario did it? I mean Beau's didn't start off making Gose, and Muskoka didn't start off making Twice as Mad Tom.

[mahcinesquad]

Uxbridge isn't a huge market. If they're not getting in the LCBO right away, they won't survive if they don't make a beer the locals will buy.Plus they had a few questions in there that were clearly geared toward figuring out the best way of getting people to try new styles. Even if it is a passion project, why shouldn't they have at least one beer that appeals to the masses in their local market? Having a lager around doesn't mean they can't also put out a saison or whatever.

Another way of looking at it would be they want to open a brewery and they're interested in actually providing locals a way to get fresh beer in the styles they like.

Exactly. I am not sure what the problem with asking what people like, and then making it for them. Especially if the product they do end up making is well made. I mean isn't that how most of the breweries in ontario did it? I mean Beau's didn't start off making Gose, and Muskoka didn't start off making Twice as Mad Tom.

Exactly.

And as for asking how people like to buy beer - such as formats, like they did in this survey - other brewers have used this very forum to get opinions on canning vs bottles. Just because they're trying to use some business sense doesn't mean that they don't want to make a quality product. What it means is that they want to make sure they can keep the business running. Not everybody has a trust fund to burn through to fund a passion project with no chance of return on investment.

[Belgian]

I agree they just need to have a clue what people are thinking, for what the survey's worth and assuming the demographic filling the survey will really support them. I reminded them that far-flung Ontario breweries have garnered respect in the GTA, and gotten awards south of the border. They should pilot some brews to sell at places like Volo, Bar Hop, Bistro and The Only - and ask people what they think! People are a good resource but they need to be spoken to up close.

Certainly I would not pin my hopes on Uxbridge, locally for anything more than a mediocre nano-brewery setup attached to a pub with other revenue sources like mixed drinks and nacho plates. Who's really going to drive up there for growlers unless they are the next Hill Farmstead in quality level?

* * crickets * *

But starting small might lead to other things as othres have said.