Brew Time
Beer – though still thoroughly analogue – is going the way of many other industries in the digital age with increasing fragmentation, niche markets and a “long tail” of small volumes supplied to a growing base of diverse customers.
The fragmentation is happening on many levels – from an increasing number of geographical pockets to an ever-widening range of stylistically deviant beers some purists might scoff at but punters lap up. Here, I’m talking about the super-fruity “hazy” pale ales, lactose-laced “milkshake” or “dessert” beers and approachable, fruited sours.
On top of that, producers are focusing on quick-turnover, small-volume batches – a new beer being produced every other week from some breweries is not uncommon. These are designed to capture the attention of promiscuous fans on the lookout for something new, as well as playing to the “fresh is best” mantra for beer. It’s the ultimate expression of a beer revolution that railed against the global giants for chundering out huge volumes of just one beer to a conservative consumer base whose only concern was that the beer was both cheap and cold.
Curiously, despite this uneconomical model for small breweries, the
