My OCB Week, Day 2: Some Thoughts on Craft Beer Marketing

I made a silly decision today. In spite of the frugal scribblings of yesterday, I went to Grapefruit Moon after work. Flying Monkeys was taking over the taps, and so I justified it to myself as follows. I have never been to Grapefruit Moon (reason #1) even though its name comes from my favourite Tom Waits album, which just happens to contain the best song with my name in the title (reasons #2 and #3) ever written, and really, I don't drink enough Flying Monkeys anyway (reason #4).

I've mostly neglected Flying Monkeys during my craft beer adventures, having decided they were a hop-heavy brewer with overwhelming package design, good for washing down pad thai, but too much for a full night. To address the first issue: yes, they still make some very bitter beers. The one-off pictured above, Rickety Crickets Amber Wheat, made me think they had accidentally poured me some of their Smashbomb instead. Only the cloudiness of the pint made me think it was truly a wheat beer. However, some of the other brews are a little more balanced. Both Stereovision and Hoptical Illusion are quite tasty, with the second having a lemongrass flavour I rather like. As to my second issue, label design - their style is starting to grow on me. The aesthetics of craft beer has homogenized as the industry has grown, and now most of the packaging looks like it came from a gig poster in Nashville. It's woodcut, or all type, with vaguely vintage colourways and graphics. In a sea of that much tastefulness, Flying Monkeys' psychedelia porridge stands out. And so, future brewers of Canada, remember that as nice as you want your branding to look, try to make sure it's still a little different.

Even if that means it's not as pretty.

My OCB Week, Day 1: Home(drunk) Brew

We're in the middle of what should be the best of all weeks - Ontario Craft Beer Week, like Christmas but seven days long and less of an eggnog hangover - and I am at home. At bars around the city, there are tap takeovers, pilsner faceoffs, beer-soaked taster menus, and ale trails. And I am at home. I am at home because I want to be responsible, for once, and have money for groceries and clean laundry.

So I will keep OCB Week in my way (well, with at least one outing.) I'll enjoy craft beer at home. Thanks to its growth in popularity, even the closet-like footage of my local LCBO contains some craft beers, like the Beau's Sticke Alt seen here, a beer which tastes like molasses on toast. And the Beer Store has its share of craft as well. But better to go right to the source, if you can, and buy your beer where it was made. Several breweries are offering growler programs, the staff is often friendly, and you don't have to support the creepy provincial monopoly of the LCBO. You can ever tip yourself when your pour your purchase, if that makes you feel better.