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Can big beer brands match the poetic charm of microbrewers?
The beer giants want in on the craft revolution. In Canada’s $9-billion beer market, sales have been almost flat since the ’90s—except for microbreweries, which have surged to 6% market share and now account for 10% of all beer industry revenues, according to a 2012 report from BMO Nesbitt Burns. Recently the big players have been hoping to win over knowledgeable drinkers with line extensions to big, established brands like Molson Canadian Wheat and Moosehead Boundary Ale. Even Keith’s, long-scorned by beer nerds for not being a real India Pale Ale, is putting a passion for traditional brewing on display by touring Canada in an 18-wheeled mobile brewery to promote its new Hop Ales.
But while it can brew more craft-conscious beers, can a company like Molson Coors ever really achieve the craft beer vibe? Small breweries that don’t have to worry about mass appeal can be as adventurous with branding as they are with brewing beer. Here are some examples of the creativity big brands will have to match if they really want in on the craft segment.
Indie Alehouse
Location: Toronto
Popular brews: Dead Spadina Monkey, Cockpuncher, Broken Hipster
What caught our attention: Indie’s branding blends fearless badassery and craft insider conventions, putting a twist on the old European tradition of naming brews according to strength. Marketer-turned-brewmaster Jason Fisher devised most of Indie’s branding himself, with a little help from Toronto’s arts community. Each beer is released with original artwork by local artists.
Flying Monkeys
Location: Barrie, Ont.
Popular brews: Hoptical Illusion, Smashbomb, Antigravity
What caught our attention: If you live in Ontario, Flying Monkeys is guaranteed to be the most colourful label on your local Beer Store’s shelf. FM’s chic cartoon packaging, off-the-wall titles and prominent “Normal is Weird” slogan distinguish it as the ultimate not-your-average-brewery for alternative beer drinkers. It just launched a collaborative brew with Canadian indie musician Dallas Green—bound to be a hit on Toronto’s indie arts scene.
Dead Frog
Location: Aldergrove, B.C.
Popular brews: Valiant, Brazen, Commander
What caught our attention: “Creator of the finest beer in the universe” (according to the website), Dead Frog puts a lot of energy into branding, with a catchy logo and online store full of merchandise. An appearance on Dragon’s Den spinoff The Big Decision secured some cash out of Jim Treliving’s pocket and high-value visibility in a busy market with lots of players.
Hoyne
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Popular brews: Off the Grid, Down Easy, Dark Matter
What caught our attention: Each of Hoyne’s beers has its own brand personality, with unique label art that visualizes the beer’s name and character. Along with flavour profiles and suggested drinking occasions, the website offers snippets of poetry, like this one for Devil’s Dream IPA: “And look: here comes the Devil, whistling past the graveyard, singing in the midnight choir, bottle in one hand, a fiddle in the other, and that crazy smile.”
