Molson Kick

[beanmedic]

Any thoughts on how much this is going to suck?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... &ncid=2148

[Wheatsheaf]

Don't forget Labatt Shok, another one of these guarana/caffeine concoctions. Can a Steelback version be far behind?

[Zymurgy]

I am sure Molbatts has seen the success in other markets of 'energy drinks' like Red Bull & Vodka. These concoctions have taken over the new / younger drinkers market that Molbatts needs and relies on to stay profitable and as such doesn't want to be left behind.

[pootz]

AB has already been there in the US market and sales are ...meh. I guessing not the return on investment spent on hyping these bastard beverages.

[PRMason]

Drew Carey should sue! He had a garage brewery on his show that produced Buzz Beer, a beer with caffeine designed to keep you awake while drunk so you could better enjoy the experience. Monkey see, Monkey do.

[borderline_alcoholic]

I suspect that all attelpts at beer energy drinks will be a total disaster. If Molson really want to jump onto that bandwagon, then they would be better off doing it "properly" and producing weird highly caffinated mixers and alcopops.

I don't think that the market for energy drinks are especially interested in beer.

[old faithful]

I think the new metal bottle is real cool. I like the Jenlain Ginger one, too. Don't know how either tastes yet. I think the new metal bottle is going to take off like a rocket. As long as it stores the beer at least as well as glass, I will support it.

Gary

[DougShoemaker]

It seems to me the aluminum bottle is storing only so, so beers. So who can say what the value of this vessel is? I can't imagine anything like a trappist or even an abbey beer being held in such a container. But who knows?

Cheers, Doug

[old faithful]

Well, I bought this figuring, someone had to try it.

It tasted to me precisely like a fresh Molson Canadian, no more or less.

Gary

[old faithful]

Just some additional thoughts since I am working my way through the rest of the four pack. There is in fact a different kind of buzz after the drink is consumed and this must be the effect of the caffeine. One feels more alert than normal, like after drinking a good coffee. I met someone recently who used to work for one of the big breweries in marketing. When I told him I tried this he look at me with genuine surprise and said, "but it's not for you". At first I thought he meant the beer would not interest someone who favours craft beer but I realised he was still viewing the beer strictly in marketing terms, i.e., it was designed for the younger crowd who frequent clubs and may be familiar with Red Bull and that type of drink. He found it amusing that I would buy it just to taste it. He agreed that the beer market is becoming more segmented. He felt there was good opportunity for growth in the area currently occupied by Keith's IPA, the Sleeman brand beers and Stella/Hoegaarden/Leffe (he seemed to consider them of a piece in terms of target audience); micros (he said sales were up in the States last year over any other alcohol segment, around 7% growth); price beers (Lakeport etc. for the budget beer buyer); and beers for the 25-30 demographic. He said the traditional buyer of Molson Canadian, Labatt Blue and Coors Light would continue to be people he called Joe 6 pack, people who don't want to experiment and want beer that is suited to their image of solid citizen. Some of this group is very sports oriented and he said beer marketing will continue to focus on that. He felt generally positive about the future of all beer segments except possibly the Joe 6 pack beers which he felt were getting squeezed. An interesting analysis and especially for me since I look at beer completely differently, focusing on taste only and my interest in certain beer styles. He seemed convinced most people still buy beer based on image. I believe this is slowly changing but in the end maybe he is right, e.g., since wine is not inherently better than beer, just different, why does it generally (he said) appeal to an upscale market? Is this nothing more than people buying a product they feel suits their image? I wonder if that is right though, e.g. wine priced at the lower end isn't on a unit basis any cheaper than 6 bottles of domestic beer. But he seemed convinced that most wine is bought by a different demographic than the typical beer drinker with a partial exception for women who in general he said favour this type of beverage.

Gary

[GregClow]

He seemed convinced most people still buy beer based on image.

I think you can replace "beer" in that sentence with pretty much anything that people buy, and it will hold true.

Maybe I'm a cynic and/or a snob, but I truly believe that the majority of people in Western society are sheep who base their consumer decisions on marketing and image almost exclusively. I hold no illusions that this will change any time soon, whether the product is beer or anything else.

[old faithful]

It is possible most people buy on image but there are still many who will form an attachment to a specific taste or taste range. These are the specialty markets, markets which if they did not exist might lose customers to the wine or spirits industries, for example. This is where the micro beer segment has an edge, growing by 7% in the U.S. last year, I think that bodes well for the future of the segment.

Gary

[joey_capps]

In our culture, we are all affected imaging/branding/marketing/advertising. It's pervasive, almost in the air we breath. Even us counter-cultural sorts are often reacting against the dominant trends in our culture. Our choices in life are (most) often about "imaging" and "branding" ourselves, about appearing to be the people we want ourselves to be.

Let me try and make this point with a few quick examples.

1) Clothing. Our clothes are our uniforms. We try to present an image of who we want to be through our clothes. And, we have different uniforms for different occasions: at work, I am conservative, almost preppy: at beer events I tend to be relaxed and casual; at concerts and other "artistic" events, I'm clad in black. We all do this whether we are "trendy"" or not. My students have trouble with this idea. They often claim they dress "comfortably" in clothes "they like." Certainly, comfort factors in to my decision of what to where, but there must be some overall conformity between the image of myself I want to present and what I'm wearing.

2) Music. I like "alternative" and "punk." Why? Because I like the music? Yes, but also I like the image that goes along with these types of music: counter-cultural, independent, intellectual, artistic. Besides, I'm convinced that musical taste is almost completely learned, and that if you listen to anything enough, you will like it. (Aside: I will admit that I don't hate the song "Achy, Breaky Heart," it's catchy and after hearing it one thousand times in 1992, I hum along whenever I hear it now, though I hate everything it stands for. If anyone ever brings this up again I will deny I ever wrote this).

3) Beer. I like craft brewed beer. Why? Because I like the way it tastes. But also because it fits into the image of the person I want to be. Someone who is schooled in his tastes. Someone who doesn't follow the hegemony of the market place. Someone who is independent and thoughtful.

To deny that we are all at some level sheep is to deny ourselves. We are of our cultures for good or for bad, and I don't think any decision we make is completely free from it's influences.

[joey_capps]

Back to the topic at hand, caffeinated beers.

I'm surprised that no one is yet speaking out against combining alcohol with such a highly addictive substance. Until last May, I was addicted to caffeine (primarily from coffee). It took an overnight stay in the hospital and some serious pain killers to help me break the addiction. Granted, I was in the hospital and on the pain killer's for a different reason, but I was unable to drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverage for almost 48 hours. I don't think I could have gotten through it without the morphine. I was on Tylenol 3 for about a week after that, and still mildly felt the affects.

I didn't really drink any caffeinated beverages besides the odd cola until I was in university, and I certainly didn't need caffeine until then. Kids today, however (did I just say that?) are becoming addicted to caffeinated energy drinks like Red Bull at very young ages. Combining the physical and psychological effects of caffeine addiction with alcohol seems dangerous to me, and promotes irresponsible and uncontrolled drinking.

[GregClow]

To deny that we are all at some level sheep is to deny ourselves.

Well, if you look at my statement above, you'll see that I didn't explicitly exclude myself from the "sheep" group.

I do feel, however, that I am far more critical of - and therefore, probably less influenced by - marketing and advertising than most people.

Than again, the marketing industry has recognized the anti-ad contingent as an official demographic, and have undoubtedly attempted to develop marketing strategies that will influence us. So maybe I'm just being naive I thinking that I'm immune to their sales pitches...