I’m often asked what I think about the ‘evil twins’ of brewing here in Sweden, Spendrups and Carlsberg.
The question is normally followed by a comment such as: “I bet you wouldn’t touch the stuff would you. After all you know what fish do in water (etc etc)”.
Well guess what? I do touch the stuff now and again, and you know what, I don’t think it’s that bad at all.
It’s very easy to put the hate on S&G (and any other brewery for that matter perceived to have exceeded the ever-shifting definition of ‘microbrewery’). Like gangs forming in the playground during a school break it’s tempting to side with the beer bullies who dismiss any brewery that doesn’t oak-age, over-hop, triple ferment, double, imperial or Americanize their beers.
Spendrup's brewery and head offices in Vårby
I suspect just like being at school peer pressure leads some people to unilaterally bash the bigger breweries, often labeling them nothing more than factories and the nemesis of all that craft beer stands for.
But as with most things in life I don’t think things are that black or white. I think we need big breweries like Spendrups and Carlsberg. Whether you like it or not they are responsible for switching millions of people onto drinking beer every year. They have the means and the muscle to create huge demand for beer in a way micros, by their very nature, never can.
We need them to help swell the ranks of beer drinkers, because its from them that we recruit drinkers of craft beer.
And lets be honest here. Are their beers really that bad? There’s a very interesting book I recommend you read (not only to underline this particular point, but because of its fascinating coverage of beer contra wine in general) called Grape vs Grain by Charles Bamforth.
Now Charles really knows his beers. He’s the Chair of the Department of Food Science, Editor in Chef of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists among a long list of other professional merits. In short he’s considered one of the top three brewing scientists of his generation.
He’s also an Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at the University of California (I can almost hear the hissing from here) and explores in depth the attitudes of beer drinkers towards the major breweries in the US.
He writes that it is the micros that “have captured the consumers’ imagination by touting a perceived sophistication that belongs in the same class at that engendered by wines”.
The famous entrance to Carlsberg's original brewery
He goes on to defend the big breweries, calling them “places of sophistication and excellence….hygienic, airy, busy and highly productive…..often highly automated but always using time-honoured brewing techniques”.
His point is that it’s no mean feat to consistently produce a beverage at thousands of bottles an hour to the same level of quality 24 hours a day, day in, day out. It may not conjure up romantic images of beer being brewed say, in a barn, but it’s an impressive accomplishment none the less.
Mr Bamforth presents a strong case from a refreshingly different perspective.
Personally I know several people who work for both Spendrups and Carlsberg and they are as professional, engaged, proud and passionate about their brands as anyone I’ve met in the trade.
So coming back to the question I was posed in the opening paragraph on this now rather long-winded blog post, my answer is that I believe the big brewers are every bit as important to the future success of craft beer in this country as the microbreweries themselves.
After all every story needs a villain – it makes the tale of craft beer all the better in the telling, don’t you think?
I see your point here but I have a hard time rewarding consistency when its a constant flow of ”less good” beer. And yeah, I truly do belive that Carlsbergs beer for example taste rather bad. It doesn’t taste allot but the flavours it contains are often metallic and alcoholic with sweet unpleasant aromas and chemicals. Offcourse there is also craft brewerys that spit out ”less good” beer with less consistency, however I’d take a ”more good” beer from a craft brewery any day even if the brewery lacks consistency, I actually would prefer getting every second ”more good” beer with an infection rather than ”less good” beer that is perfectly ”clean” and tastes the same every time. However taste is all subjective so.. I’m glad the people who enjoy their ”probably best beer in the world” always get that best beer. I simply have a hard time being impressed with the production of these beers, I mean its a factory, people go to work, fine but comparing it to microbrewerys makes very little sense, I think its like comparing H&M with their consistency to hand made designer clothes that is fantastic in some peoples eyes but probably wont be as consistent. I personally dont care about what I wear just as there are allot of people who couldn’t care less about what they drink, if they do care however I hope they choose flavour over of consistency. I am quite sure I would choose a long lasting quality shirt instead of some random H&M one (if I cared…)
Also, I belive that unconsistancy is a natural part of any experimental creative output and as long as brewerys are experimenting we will see less good beer, exploding beer, flat beer, infected beer and so on. But, we might also get those gems, those amazing beers that takes it to a whole new level. Those beers that makes us think ”why would I drink anything that tastes less good?” and no, that does not have to be an ”imperial” this or that, it could very well be a perfectly balanced bohemian pilnser from a Swedish microbrewery, I doubt we would see one of those made entirely with high quality ingrediens from Carslberg for example.
I didn’t really like beer before I tried micros so I realize that I’m not the most objective person when it comes to this. If there’s only macro lagers available I usually prefer to drink wine or even water. The problem however is not elitism from craft beer drinkers. Taste varies, I can accept that, and it’s very common in groups with special tastes to have an arrogant attitude towards what the everyday person drink/eat/wear/read/listen to. The real problem here is not if Brewdog and Oppigårds make better beer than Carlsberg or Spendrups. The problem is a drinking culture that values a beer depending on the alcohol per crown and are generally afraid to try something new. I think the elitism from craft beer drinkers is partly a response to the ignorance and suspicion from people who’s good idea of a Friday night is buying 20 sofiro. This of course leads to an evil circle of hatred between the two. It’s not all bad however: I drink a couple of ”macros” sometimes and more people are converted to drinking craft beer every day. And I think the beer drinkers of the future will drink the best of both worlds. Elites will always exist (just look at the lines to the wine-cellar systembolaget stores certain day) but I think things will get more balanced in a couple of years.
Very good points you both make! DH – I can only say that in my 10 years of living in Sweden the APK attitude (Alcohol per Kronor) is noticeably less obvious today than it was when I first arrived. I think we have the microbreweries to thank (as well as beer nerds, beer writers, pubs such as the Bishops Arms and yes, even bloggers) for getting the message out that there are now alternative choices for beer drinkers.
Andersand – personally I agree with your philosophy, although many more value consistency above experimentation. They find comfort and familiarity in big brewery brands much like I do when I go to a McDonalds. I always know what I’m going to get. However this doesn’t apply to my beer drinking. Like you I’m willing to take a few knocks to experience those amazing beer moments
Darren, i couldn´t agree more!
We need them to get the word ”beer” out there.
Which beer and it is a ”good” beer is certainly
up to all as individuals.
If we look at the Swedish beer landscape for the
past 20 years, wow! And like in many other businesses
, the change of status quo starts ”in the street”,
it is now micros and craft breweries getting the big boys
back to the art of brewing. Easy example is the Jacobsen
range of beers from Carlsberg, and just now Spendrups
are launching Pistonhead, very much inspired by what
is going on in the US. havent tried it yet but it
is a pretty impressive move by a giant.
And neither of this would have happend if the
guerilla attitude amongst micros wasn´t there!
But a very important question comes with this,
what are we prepered to pay for a ”beer”.
Without bulk lagers being sold in the pubs there
are NO room for what we like to call ”quality”.
So hell yeah, have another ”stor stark” if it´s
your beer, that only means that the pub can stock
more expensive ”quality” stuff and also being able
to charge a fair enough price for them.
In Sweden, imagine a bar only selling the top 50
beers from Ratebeer, i wouldn´t work.
A couple of things I noticed from your post and following comments.
first of all: ”Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at the University of California” Doesnt exactly scream credibility. He is basically just doing his job promoting this kind of beer. Or am I missing something?
Also while you could argue that it’s the beer geeks bullying the big breweries you could also turn it around. Just look what Guiness are doing on Ireland and Carlsberg here in Sweden. Threatening to withdraw support if the pubs sell something besides their products. Basically using their overpowering capital to drive out competition.
I’m not sure if I agree to the whole: ‘Yeah its great that they make crap beer it sells and more people will like beer’. Pubs that sell allot of ”stor stark” seems to only sell that kind of beer. At least I can’t think of an example where they sell a ton of Carlsberg but also stocks up on some quality stuff. It would be allot better if the sense of quality spreads to more people and the bigger breweries would have to adopt. But as you mention yourself it feels like we on our way towards that.
But Im biased, I can hardly drink the beer S & C brew. Think it tastes like a mix of water, booze, chemicals, metal and with a hint of puke (not kidding). I usually buy a drink, a glass of wine or just water if I dont have any other choice. However I let people drink what they want. That’s their choice. but I usually share my beer with friends and most prefer a micro beer before a macro. However most think it’s to expensive and stick to their Sofiero anyway. But allot of them have gone from ‘Sofiero is the way a beer should taste like’ to ‘tonight I’m going to award myself a Chimay’.
Hmm this all became a bunch of drivel
However I do agree that if the big breweries where to dissapear there would be a sever beer shortage. So in that sence they are very much needed
Hehe this subject got me thinking. Good of you to bring it up Darren
Now Im working under the assumption that macro lagers are bad. However does a macro brewed beer have to be bad? When does a beer go from micro to macro? I can think of several beers that you can get in many places that are still very good and are conistently of good quality. For instance Chimay Blue that keep popping up in the most unexpected places. Is it the big productions that draws the quality down or is it just that when it gets this big the thought of making more money and reducing costs becomes more important then the quality of the beer?