the story of MACRO & Micro( part (2/2)

Micro Brew

Craft beer started essentially because someone long ago felt bored with whatever the big boys were supplying to the market....the lack of choices( or some would say taste) started the idea of home brew--micro brew.

Many years later---we all know what happened--craft beer is developing---slowly but surely---as for what craft beer is all about--for technical definitions---one could check what the US brewers association says---with main focus on smaller volume, not control by non-craft beer big companies--and mos importantly---cannot use inferior material to lower cost of production( hence lowering the quality/taste profile of the beer).

If there's any obvious different between MACRO beer and Micro beer---on non-taste or non-beer quality related area---then it's clear that MACRO beer would throw lots of advertising money just to promote very few variation( sometimes just one type of beer) of their product----of which craft beer community DON'T look up to or practice..

While at times there's simply too many different types/brand of craft beer---the craft community just know for a fact that not all beer that is a micro brew or with a tag saying "Craft Beer" means it's a winner---nope---there's crappy craft beer too....

that's why beer geek DISSECT & FUSS OVER BEER.   

CBC 2015

It's an beer event organised by Mikkeller of Copenhagen.

It's an event where geeks would sometimes just have to dream of getting a ticket---it's sold out very very quickly.

It's an event where many of the best brewers gather and showcase some new brew---and obviously---NO non-craft big factory beer is allowed---EVER.

but this year--we might---i mean--just might for the first time ever--see a MACRO beer making it's way to CBC 2015---yes--of all the "feedback" given to BUD ad---this one from Mikkeller--an invitation to CBC 2015 is the most---amusing one.

To be or not to be...? that's an amusing thought....

MICRO BREW

小型自酿意思，更通用的是CRAFT BEER。

从最根本原因说起，撞意啤酒就是因为有饮客不满意市场只有单调无趣大厂啤酒，开始自酿，然后星火燎原，发展成今天的CRAFT BEER文化。

根据美国酿酒师协会主要定义，1.年产量不超过6百万桶，2.不能有超过25%股权由非CRAFT BEER生产者控制，3.使用传统或创新材料及方式酿制（重点是不能使用比如大米或人工香精之类的廉价替代原料）

浅白说，就是要真材实料，不能只唯利是图，用廉价材料减低成本方式经营。

要说小型自酿和大厂啤酒最大区别，很简单，相对大厂啤酒产品单调划一，强调广告效应，小型自酿反而是酿品繁多到让人眼花缭乱，绝大多数只靠口碑的一群。

小型自酿，就一定是好啤酒保证？当然不是的。就像有人卖很难吃云吞面那样，CRAFT BEER也有不知所谓酿品。

这点自我认知，对撞意啤酒群体来说，是自然现象，也是为什么啤迷需要有点不同品牌类别尝味或分析研究心得必要。

CBC 2015

COPENHAGEN BEER CLEBRATION是丹麦名牌MIKKELLER主催，入场卷网上一开卖就被秒杀，完全供不应求的撞意啤酒年度盛事。

让啤迷很期待，因为这是世界各地酿酒师们的精英会。当然，从不邀请大厂啤酒商。

百威广告效应，MIKKELLER已发出正式邀请函，并上载社交媒体如面子书，要百威参与CBC2015，并会开放一天让百威可以在一家酒吧举行多达40 个不同类别啤酒泵占领活动（TAP TAKE OVER）！

这是邀请，当然也是撞意啤酒群体中至今对百威啤酒最直接的嘲笑。

来还是不来？让人莞尔。

WEEK 44--the story of MACRO & Micro( part 1/2)

It maybe a bit "late" now to still talk about the matter--but it's still an interesting one to voice out for the newsppaper readers --who probably don't have a clue as to what happened...(中文全文请往下看)

MACRO BEER---the word sort of  became the "bud" of joke along with some other key words early this month for the craft beer community.( if you have not seen the ad--go see on youtube)

This very much self-inflicted joke came from one of the commercial beer big boys--BUD--an ad aired during the US Super Bowl finals--which obviously cost lots of USD--but laughed about for it's very weak mocking of the craft community.

While saying"people who drink our beer are people who like to drink beer"--typical "feel good" advertising statement amongst others----what irked was the mocking of craft beer....

By saying all that was said in the ad---craft community is being painted as a bunch of fussy nerds.

In marketing terms--there's comparison method--or the lower level of "saying something bad about others in order to make yourself look better".

Bud--while trying to differentiate MACRO beer and craft beer--by way of mocking---has largely been seen as public display of "fear"---fear for it's own market erosion--as well fear for the growing influence of craft beer on the US beer market--figures compiled by the US Brewers association showed that  in 1998--the big boys hold about 89% of the beer market--in 2013 it dropped to 78%...while craft beer grown from 2.6% in 1998 to close to 8% in 2013.

the ad look more and  more like ringing it's own alarm bell than anything else.....

BEER IS FOR DRINKING--NOT DISSECTING

one of the key messages from the ad---which is trying to say--"it's just a bloody beer, just drink up, nothing to be serious about...."

just look around---why would people chose to eat at a particular shop for a bowl of Wanton noodles--sometimes even to far away places--isn't it just a same bloody bowl of noodles?

just like each shop has got different way of preparing the noodles, sauce, or even some secrets formula--consumers would know what's best for them--and rightly so.

beer is certainly not just one dimensional yellow fizzy drink---to say beer is just for drinking and nothing else...it's just sounding shallow---even to the tune of terrified.

MACRO BEER

大啤酒意思。这是近期备受撞意啤迷嘲笑字眼。

点起火头的是美国“超级大厂”百威啤酒，在高收视率美国橄榄球超级碗大赛中，花了数百万美元播放广告，说自家啤酒是“艰辛酿制”，“喜欢我们啤酒就是喜欢啤酒的人”等自夸自赞说词。

重点是，广告也出现“让他们喝南瓜桃子啤去”，啤酒不是“酿来被挑剔”，不需要“被分析研究”等字眼画面。

很明显，广告意图嘲弄撞意啤酒群体，把喜欢喝CRAFT BEER的描绘成自以为是，走火入魔一群。

市场行销手法中，“对比手法”或更低级的“说别人坏话抬高自己”是惯见事。

广告播出后，很大程度上被啤迷视为“示弱”表现。攻击至今仍是市场“小玩家”的撞意啤酒群体只能显示大企业对日渐成长的撞意啤酒文化感到害怕。

美国酿酒协会数据显示，1998年大厂啤酒占据整个市场89%，美国本土撞意啤酒只有2.6%。2013年数据出现变化，美国大厂啤酒市场份额跌至78%，本土撞意啤酒则上升至8%左右。（换算成钞票的话，8%市场份额大概美金150亿左右）

过去的美国市场数据显示两个令大厂啤酒商担忧的走势，1.整体喝啤酒的人数在下跌，2.更多人放弃单调无趣大厂金黄浅啤，转喝变化多端有趣好玩撞意啤酒。

这次超级碗广告看来比较像美国大厂啤酒在敲自己警钟。

BEER IS FOR DRINKING, NOT DISSECTING

这是广告重点词之一。

意思是，啤酒嘛，喝掉就好，干嘛分析这个味道，那个口感，研究什么轻重酒体这么麻烦。。。

打个比喻，就像是说，市面上那么多卖云吞面的，干嘛要大老远跑到特定那家去吃？不就只是一碗面？

啤酒，当然不只黄澄澄一攤气泡水那么简单。

就像云吞面用什么酱油，面条怎么打，独家秘方之类，每家都有自己方式，消费者也会心中有把尺。同样道理，放在类别繁多撞意啤酒，更是明显。

啤酒只需大口喝，不必分析研究？听起来避重就轻，有心虚感觉。

NEXT WEEK--of micro & CBC 2015

WEEK 43-Quick craft-tour---kl-bkk-S'pore9part 2/2)

of the 3 cities--KL-BKK-SG, if you do not earn sing dollar or any other higher exchange rate currency---it's probably not that fun to spend money in S'pore now--even more so if you are spending M'sia ringgit...

the "problem" for beer geek is---when you consider the number of craft-dedicated bars/bottle shops --hence the wider choices of craft beer---the currency issue become a smaller issue...

S'pore is no doubt having many more craft-dedicated places when compared to KL-BKK, add in the small number of microbrew( which unfortunately is not legally permitted in KL-BKK)--craft beer seems to move faster/better in this part of south east asia....

The Feb issue of Time Out magazine( s'pore version) run some stories about the craft beer movement in S'pore--and that kind of shows the momentum it is gathering locally....

If you have not been to S'pore for craft beer---there are many older and newer places to go---amongst others---just mentioning a few here"-

Smith street bar( clay pot chicken rice + craft beer--can be really shiok combination)

Good beer company---just located few steps away from smith--need bottles selection?)

The great beer experiment( many European beers--including Cantilion)

Thisrty ( bottle shop---with focus on US beer--think alesmith-firestone walker, modern times....)

Jibiru(sitting on orchard road---obviously focus on Japanese brew)

The pump room( who says Clarke Quay is only for partying--there's a brewpub or two too around the area)

Nickledime Drafthouse(opened late last year--run by a paying beer geek turned operator)

there's obviously many more---like the very newly opened Druggist( 23taps)---and also soon to open Tap bar.....would do a more in-depth SG craft-spotting in the near future....

SINGAPORE

近期拿马币去新加坡消费的话，不会是爽事。

如果为了撞意啤酒特意去新加坡的话，心情会有点复杂。

一是因为汇率处于近年高点，可是，看到新加坡现有至少10家以上各有特色撞意啤酒专卖吧/瓶子店，又觉得心痒痒，不出手不行。

新加坡近年撞意啤酒文化散播的很不错，新马泰三地，以酒吧/瓶子店数量，还有进口啤酒类别，加上一点自酿来说，是发展得最快的城市。（自酿这部分，大马和泰国都只能关起门来自己玩，法律上不能公开酿，更别说公开卖）

相比曼谷和吉隆坡，新加坡明显有更多专卖点，虽然曼谷不少餐厅/咖啡厅加入卖撞意啤酒行列，不过，只说100%只卖CRAFT而不是大厂啤酒混合着卖的话，新加坡明显走在前头。

二月份TIME OUT杂志（新加坡版）大篇幅介绍了撞意啤酒界中的幕后/幕前推手及现况，某些程度上显示CRAFT 文化在新加坡的关注度。

如果不很熟悉新加坡哪里喝哪里买，这几家各有特色的专卖店错不了，比如设在牛车水唐人街熟食小贩中心的SMITH STREET TAPS和THE GOOD BEER COMPANY，设在靠近马场商场进口商自己经营的THE GREAT BEER EXPERIMENT，河边购物中心内的THRISTY瓶子店，繁忙乌节路边上的JBIRU（专注日本啤酒），河边派对区提供小型自酿的THE PUMP ROOM，去年底新开的15个啤酒泵NICKLEDIME DRAFHOUSE等等。（没提到的还有不少，之后有机会详细聊）

NEXT UP---the story of MACRO & Micro....

WEEK 43---Quick craft-tour of KL-BKK-S'PORE(part 1/2)

KL 

this is the 4th year craft beer culture is taking shape in KL, looking back, there has been a rather lack of major development in terms of craft-bar-bottle shops new operator/s joining the local scene. There's only 1 new bar opened late last year, but by the same bar that started 3 years ago....

Yes--the only addition of a 100% craft beer bar is tapsbeerbar1MK.

Is that to say KL is a bloody boring place for craft beer? well, not that bad---not at all. At the very least--some beer listed as the TOP 100 by ratebeer were here before/reappearing, and of course there's many others from Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and lately some US brew....

Generally speaking, operating craft beer bar or bottle shop is not quick money making or very high margin business, add that with the fact that KL is a place with very high alcohol taxes---and the local craft culture is still in it's very early developing stage--this would sort of explain why there's so few operators in the market--guess we drinkers can just hope for few more craft beer loving operators to join in sooner rather than later...

吉隆坡撞意啤酒文化萌芽期进入第四个年头。

过去三年多，本地撞意啤酒文化并没有飞跃发展，除了原有一家专卖酒吧和专卖瓶子店，只增加了另一家专卖吧，而且是原有专卖吧的分店。

是的，吉隆坡来说，100%纯粹卖CRAFT BEER的点只多了一家，去年尾新开的TAPS BEER BAR 1MK。实际上，现阶段吉隆坡业者的确少。

这是说本地撞意啤酒选择很少，乏味无趣吗？倒不至于。

至少，刚上榜RATEBEER全球100大啤酒榜的好些啤酒都出现过，比如比利时WESTVLETEREN 12，DE STRUISE渔船瓶子PENNEPOT和BLACK ALBERT 黑啤，ROCHEFORT系列8和10修道院啤酒，ST.BERNARDUS 12号瓶子。丹麦MIKKELLER的啤迷黑啤系列，美国PRAIRIE BOMB黑啤等等。

除了比利时，北欧，苏格兰啤酒是过去三年多较常找到的，去年一些纽西兰，澳洲和英国新品牌也开始涌现。然后，更让人期待的是美国啤酒也陆续出现了。

在本地卖撞意啤酒不是高利润或赚快钱生意，也需要对撞意啤酒的认识和热切，所以本地市场很少人投入是可理解现象。只能说，希望星火可以逐渐燎原，未来一两年会看到新业者加入。

BKK

this is still "the big do" month for Mikkeller bangkok with it's first anniversary "bkk beer week" continuing from late January.

as many would have noticed, there's a 30 tap"kick -ass" list on 29th Jan--followed by tap take-over by TO OL from Denmark and Baird from Japan.

This coming friday & saturday will see a 50 tap a day--100 beer in total keg party taking place, with beer festival like format where ticket is on sale.. 

Pushing craft culture in a market long dominated by the big boys of Thai commercial beer( think Elephant & Lion) is never an easy task, we say keep rocking Mikkeller bar---and credit should also be given to the USbrew importer(Beervana) for keeping the ball rolling earlier along with another importer who focus on Belgium beer.... 

这个月，曼谷“米吧”庆祝满周岁。

以东南亚撞意啤酒市场仍处于萌芽成长期来说，一年不是短时间。

配合生日，1月29日开始“米吧”就动作连连，除了30个上了啤酒泵，号称“至今最厉害阵容”酒单选择，还分别把丹麦TO OL和日本BAIRD酿酒师配合“占领啤酒泵”活动带到曼谷跟啤迷见面。然后，2月的6日和7日连续两天，效仿丹麦啤酒节庆盛宴，以单一价格门票方式，让啤迷可以每天50个不同啤酒泵选择，两天100种不同啤酒，一次过喝个够。

过去一年来，作为曼谷撞意啤酒市场新来者（之前曼谷已有人经营比利时和美国啤酒），“米吧”因为品牌效应优势，已俨然是东南亚以致香港台湾甚至日本啤迷的“朝拜”点。

要在被泰国本土大厂啤酒（大象/狮子）包围多年的市场以非主流方式推动撞意啤酒文化不是易事，“米吧”和另一家美国啤酒进口商在曼谷以致其他地区所做的尝试还是值得啤迷欣慰，支持的。

NEXT UP--Quick tour to S'pore