Most cities in and around Asia---beer is always considered as something cheap--something readily available--easily obtainable. This is very true--if you are talking about the big factory made one dimensional COMMERCIAL BEER.
亚洲不同城市，取决于在什么地方买或喝，一瓶啤酒通常是几块钱到十几块内就解决的事。换句话说，在绝大多数人认知中，啤酒是便宜，不贵，很容易就买到的东西。
不过，踏入不同啤酒类别选择繁多的CRAFT BEER世界，啤酒是单调口味，产品划一，价格统一的大众认知会被彻底颠覆，一般人所知道的所谓啤酒概念，并不适用。
比如说，供应很多时候都满足不了需求，比如说。抢占市场不是重点。
跟普通大厂啤酒不同，一些很出名的CRAFT BEER品牌并不会大量生产最受欢迎类别啤酒，供应量有限，一些难找盛名啤酒可能每年或每几年只出几百瓶。
或许有人会问，既然那么受欢迎，为什么不多生产些，让大家轻松点就能喝到？说起来，原因不少，包括：-
For examples, right here in KL--there's big brewery not far away from the city center producing tonnes of commercial beers for local market--so yeah--beers can be readily available for a steal.
But--enter to the world of CRAFT BEER--the situation in cities around ASIA can be very different--because most of the craft beer selection needs to be imported from far away places all over Europe, US, New Zealand and such....and naturally--supply is an issue.
Maybe someone would ask---since Craft Beer essentially is still a BUSINESS--why don't the brewers/breweries just bloody up the volume/supply of some of their most popular/ sought-after beers?
Well--theoretically this seems like solution for the supply shortage issue faced by many--but it just would not happen that way in the world of Craft Beer---why?
1）再怎么出名，撞意啤酒酿坊的年产量绝对比不上普通大厂啤酒，根据美国酿酒师协会定义，年产量不超过6百万加仑才算CRAFT BEER，实际上，很多撞意啤酒酿坊的年产量都大大低于六百万加仑。
国际知名普通大厂啤酒年产量多少？几千万到上亿加仑。这些国际大公司在全世界很多不同城市都有酿酒厂，重复生产几个单调划一口味基本款，无休止供应市场需求是常态。
相比之下，很多撞意啤酒品牌没自家酿坊，只能“吉普赛”式酿造，更别说不同城市有据点了。
1) No matter how you look at it--in next 10 or 20 years time--the overall production in volume for Craft Beer will always only be a fraction of what the big boys of commercial beers are producing. With many craft brewers still very much into "gypsy brewing"--the world would only get so much for a certain beer, not to mention some brewers/brand are actually proud to keep certain beer very limited in supply annually--or even only releasing once every 2 years.
2）撞意啤酒最初出现原因就因为市场上只有大厂啤酒，没选择情况下，本来只买酒喝人群中出了搞自酿的，就那样，星火燎原，一些人创造了自己喜欢口味啤酒，慢慢变成品牌。这样的背景造成撞意啤酒酿酒师不会只酿制一两个基本款，而是会像玩游戏那样实验自己心中的味道，不停有新类别新口味啤酒出现是常态。
注重酿造不同口味，产量少是正常事。打个很片面比喻，如果你的资金和设备只够年酿十万加仑，只两三款啤酒的话，大概每款有三万多加仑。如果酿10款，那每款只能有一万加仑
2) Because craft beer is all about VARIANTS--Varieties--naturally if you only focus on producing 1 single beer like the big commercial beer boys--then you obviously can keep on producing in abundance---but let's take a very simple assumption here:-
if you have a brewing facility and working capital to produce say 100,000 gallons of beers--if you just do 1 style--then you will produce 100.000 gallons.
if you are doing say 5 different styles/variants of beers--then you will only get 20,000 gallons of each styles....
So--there you go....yes, it's simplifying matters here --but you get the picture why Craft Beer supply for certain beer is so little.( of course there's the small matters of hard to get raw materials--or like in the case of Cantillon--you have to wait for the right weather...)
3）很多撞意啤酒只在酿坊所在地或周边城市有供应，供应量难以满足其他城市啤迷。比如说，在美国本土，某个州酿造的啤酒并不会供应全美国，产量有限再加运输费种种外在因素，令供应外国市场更难。过去几年被独立评酒网站RATEBEER.COM评为世上最佳酿坊的美国农村酿坊HILLFARMSTEAD就是一个例子，因为供应有限，不管是美国本土还是国外啤迷都不惜长途跋涉去到偏远农村酿坊排队，为的只是可以买到一些酿品。
3) Let's face it---even if you stay in the States or Europe--unless you are staying within 4-5 hours driving distance from the brewery--you will not get the beer/s you want easily if they are not being distributed in a bar/shop near you.
Those who been driving up all the way to various breweries or beer festivals would tell you exactly why they do that---because the supply is so limited--you have to go to the beers--rather than the beers coming to you....
4）虽然有少数撞意啤酒品牌已是年营业额上千万美元，供应很多不同城市的大生意，不过，大多数酿酒师只酿自己喜欢的量，或满足于酿坊现有规模，不忙着应付市场需求而扩张。生意角度来说，好像说不过去，怎么会消费者想给钱都不要？真实情况就那样，对这些酿酒师来说，占据市场不是重点，自在自主才是乐趣。
4)It is true that some Craft beer brands has gotten very big--we are talking about tens of million USD a year turnover here---and some of these bigger guy's beers are almost quite readily available all year round in many cities around the world---BUT--the truth is there are way too many brewers who are just happy to brew as and when they like/can--at the volume they like/can---business volume? fight for market share?
Some craft brewers/brands just don't seems to give a FXXK about that.....:)
啤酒是便宜容易买到的商品？在撞意啤酒供应比较充足的欧美市场可能性较高，本地甚至整个亚洲来说，现实情况是，很多时候在自己住的城市，有钱未必买到心头好。
So--if you think beer is just some cheap yellow fizzy thing you can always buy from the nearby convenient store at anytime you felt like having one--think again--in the world of Craft Beer--unless you live in the States or Europe or some craft beer heaven somewhere, you chances might be better--BUT- if you are in ASIA the whole time--the truth is --many a times---even if you have the taste and money for a certain beer--you just can't get it in your own city.....:(
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