Are you buying your craft beer wrong? | The Craft Beer Channel

[@quangtunginh7946]

Well, what you guys said about people co-opting "craft" as a marketing term is golden. I believe that it happens in almost every industry. There are people who pour their heart and soul into their product, but there are also people who just try to exploit it and eventually devalue the authenticity of the product itself. Great video, guys!

[@brewsandviews7863]

Great video! My girlfriend and I could spend hours walking around a bottle shop looking at all the different options. Cheers

[@henlolneh]

Long winded comment incoming... Coming from the coffee/tea industry, this is a conundrum for many if not all prosumers. we all have buyers remorse and things like craft beer and craft coffee/tea are super freaking expensive when you think about it (these are all WANTS people not NEEDS , especially during a pandemic ). with that being said, I always tell people that at the end of the day, our taste preferences are completely subjective. my favorite bean from said farm from said elevation from said region might be another person's absolute worst enemy. even among beans that scored 90+, you will have tons of professionals who will say its a great 90 point cup of coffee, just not for them. so again, subjective. which is why it brings me to my long winded statement: take your time and TRY EVERYTHING THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING TO YOU. TRY. try is the keyword. do NOT take the word of another person and label a beer off just because it "scored low" or wasn't a banger of a review. Any craft beer that makes it to production, let alone IMPORTED halfway across the world was probably a delicious beer to someone along the supply chain. So... ! Take your time, enjoy the process, develop your palate (even with brews that you aren't happy with), and make sure every time you get a little tipsy, that you've learned something and or grew your palate memory! And if you cannot "afford" to purchase 1-2 craft beers a week that you don't enjoy, then you need to rethink your financials prior to indulging in an expensive hobby such as ... craft beers (very first world hobby). Cheers from California!

[@digestivebiscuit4458]

This is why beer ticking is so much fun. Google beertickers

[@1m2a3t4t5]

nice, but why are you so upset about emphasizing their inessentiality. Felt like a karen was yelling in my face just by reading

[@henlolneh]

@@1m2a3t4t5 reading comprehension isn't your strong suit buddy, it's okay.

[@1m2a3t4t5]

ANIMALFRIES Karen confirmed. 😳

[@petedudson6671]

Great comment (* * )

[@travelinrob406]

As a person that works in product distribution, good luck finding beer that has been kept in refrigeration all of its canned/bottled life. Most, almost all are warehoused at or barely below "room temperature". Best before or canned/bottled date is the best way to find fresh, best quality beer. You'll find there is a lot of outdated beer out there. Great, informative video. Thanks!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Having worked in distro for 5 years I'm well aware! But there are always companies with cold chain, and we hope breweries and shops focus on them first.

[@Vinnie13]

I could have done with this guide 5 years ago! I buy from an independent virtual bottle shop in Northampton (Beer Garage) who do a bloody amazing job. They do local delivery/pick up and are always getting in a great variety of stuff. Also they are really nice and in no way your typical bottle shop know-it-alls!

[@ronrupert4728]

Great video - thanks! I recently found a shop with a few cases of Goose Island Bourbon County stouts from 2017, 2018, and 2019 sitting in the cold room. A few Goose Island barley wines from 2017 as well. I liberated those beautiful beasts and have them aging at room temp (65F) in my cellar. Cheers!

[@gottaplayusa]

you are a very lucky person!

[@Vinnie13]

My best ever experience in a Bottle Shop was in The House of Trembling Madness in Yorklast year. The guy working in there was patiently dealing with a customer who came in and asked "what have you got that tastes like Brewdog (with further patient questioning Punk IPA was what they meant). I said to him afterwards how well he'd helped him as I know people who have been chewed out in bottle shops for less! We got talking about mixed ferm beer (I was shopping for Little Earth Project) and he asked if I had tried any Mills. I hadn't and he directed me to their other shop in town where they only had 2 bottles left. I picked one up on his recommendation and bloody loved it.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Anyone who recommends Mills is an excellent human.

[@2Sherbert]

I think that was me! I definitely had plenty of 'Tastes like Brewdog' requests when I worked there anyway!

[@Vinnie13]

@@2Sherbert excellent human status confirmed

[@Necrolee]

House of Trembling Madness is one of my favourite places to drink.

[@robertjackson2913]

I'm glad i stummbled upon you guys. I worked at. world of beer(ohio) for 4 years, and learned alot. I then worked in a local brewary/bar/pub, and learned more. Im learning so much more now!

[@jakeb4136]

After watching this I went and got a fresh can of People, Money, Space Time by Verdant from the local indie shops fridge. Best beer I've had in ages! Thanks for the tips!

[@tim73639]

Why is there an advert featuring nigel farage after this video? I just got all excited, checking my beer collection for dates, now I just feel anger. Pure anger.

[@sora1458]

Decided to try something different thanks to the video, picked up a 7% west coast IPA today. It was great.

[@TheNeodarkwing]

Also, go to the source, visit your local breweries!

[@Peanutbutterhotsauce]

Yesssss!

[@dannyphinotelli2866]

this! go to your breweries, they'll often have much better prices than bottle shops and they'll often have beers that you can't find anywhere else

[@Jaap-Relou]

@@dannyphinotelli2866 here in Amsterdam this is clearly not the case. They turn their brewery into a partial bar with the same prices and most of them are even higher priced because your at te source. Very strange to me

[@bluu_ice6554]

Or a good Growler shop.

[@KingHarris11]

Definitely! My town has two amazing breweries which are really different to each other. Buying from them throughout the pandemic has been a real joy.

[@darkraven4467]

There’s this craft beer place in my hometown called Maltitude. They have all kinds to choose from, anything from IPA’s, stouts, sours, Belgian’s, barley wine, saisons, etc. They even have 20 rotating taps and they will let you sample any of them before you decide to buy. You can buy a glass of beer or even a flight if you can’t decide on one and you can drink it there or you can buy them in crowlers or growlers to go. The staff at Maltitude are very friendly and helpful so I’m always asking them for recommendations if I can’t decide on something.

[@davidcarse6091]

Hi guys love your channel. Broughton brewery which has been going since 1979 and is based in the Scottish Borders has started a crowd funder to get the brewery through this tough time. They are one of the original craft brewers and have excellent beers. Would be great if you could show them some support on your channel. Hopefully the craft beer community will rally to support Broughton as it would be a travesty for them to go out of business.

[@dt4676]

Are they still around?

[@jasegudat9590]

Much prefer a "package on" date vs. A "best before" date.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

The dream is both! Especially for styles that do have longer shelf lives.

[@Anthony-hi1ih]

A "bottled on" doesn't really matter. Its up to the store/distributor to give you the freshest beer. I much rather see a "best by" date on my beers. If that is the issue go buy beer at the brewery. Its never as old as a week or 2.

[@adamcurley9334]

Great vid! Nice one for breaching the 'craft beer' thing. It's such a none term and yet also such an umbrella term that's irked me for ages. I'm cool with 'good beer' 👍🏻

[@MichaelAndersen_DK]

Fun fact. A supermarket in Allerod (north of Copenhagen) has one of the best selections of beer in the country. They even have a fridge for IPA etc. At christmas they have more than 100 x-mas beer and host a big tasting too. Head of that department is a beer geek, of course!

[@headlesshorseman7077]

Nice tip

[@headlesshorseman7077]

Which one?

[@MichaelAndersen_DK]

@@headlesshorseman7077 Kvickly

[@edmundwhite9864]

Good video - thanks! It's come up a couple of times in the comments, but a guide to buying online rather than in real 'bricks and mortar' might be good. Especially in 'these strange times' when people are spending more time at home... What happens to cool chain and refrigeration etc when it comes in the post? If I put the crispy bois in the fridge as soon as they're delivered, will their crispiness be intact?

[@beerubeerme2171]

I feel like a big part of how a small independent bottle shop operates also has to deal with how much social media marketing they provide. My local bottle shop posts every day they get a delivery with any hot ticket items they have, and I can almost guarantee that they sell out of the popular beers with in an hour or two of them being delivered. They only have two cooler doors, so getting the word out is imperative. Most of the product on the shelves are general brand name breweries that any craft beer drinker would know, but there are a few dead bottles I would never touch. You guys make great points!

[@thefirstchampster]

Good point. When a bottle shop can and does regularly update on the products that are new in it makes it much easier/enticing to shop there.

[@resde34]

Ah Caps and Taps used to be my local, lovely seeing inside again!

[@christianmrkhansen9991]

Super helpful video guys, thanks 🙏

[@michaellock6926]

Very interesting and informative, thank you! Do you intend to (or have you?) done a video on the "Beer Subscription Companies", such as Beer52, Brew Republic, Beer Hawk etc? I would be interested to know their business and way of working. Such as do they buy beer extremely cheap, because they know they'll sell it, so not a lot will return to the brewery. Is the beer kept in storage for a long time? You get my drift!

[@edmundwhite9864]

Agree. I'm a loyal HonestBrew customer - no decent indie bottle shops near me.

[@kw2142]

yeh that would be a good video about those types of subsscriptions

[@themadcoachman]

Get to your local Micro brewery, I love the beers from Unity Brewing.

[@benoakes01]

Great video. Beer shops can be intimidating! Because buying unfamiliar beers can be costly and risky! Often, say if I'm buying 4 beers, 2 I will have had before and know I'll enjoy, then the other 2 will be something I'll take a chance on. That way you're not disappointed with the lot of them and you're trying what might be a new favourite beer. Last night, my local off license in Herne Hill- a LondonBeerFactory stout I tried was ok but not great. I didn't despair though- I had a Canopy Thrills n Spills red IPA. Check that one out people!

[@ayabayabaya]

Oh god I wanted tips to purchase a Christmas present.... now I’m scared lol I’ll buy them a novelty mug

[@stevelewis199]

I definitely love to ask about the beers in my local bottle shop. I've met some amazing people by doing this. Also this has led to countless nights of banter about which country has the best beer (Belgium incidentally although I'm told otherwise!) Maybe biere d'or is the finest and nobody knew haha!! Bottle shop staff have always been a fascinating breed to talk to from my point of view!

[@soundrev09]

Great video guys. My local here in Leeds (Raynville) add beers to their website in chronological order, so you can estimate how fresh they are based on the page number you’re on which is useful. They’ve had some DEYA canned on the previous day in recent months so it’s great if you can find a bottle shop with that level of transparency in terms of freshness. I’d also add that while it’s good to know what’s in a beer to reaffirm that it’s a brewery that knows it’s stuff, don’t necessarily rule one out for it either. North are extremely minimal when it comes to ingredients but are producing some of the best beers in the country at the moment (IMO). An extreme example but there may be good brewers that don’t disclose all ingredients - partly due to the sheer number of new entrants and poor imitations!

[@Pjrfreitas]

Loved the video. You guys should come down and checkout the beer scene here in Portugal. You might be happily surprised ;)

[@joshuasigelman8141]

The other day my wife and I did our own brewcrawl. We walked about 11 km and stopped in 5 Lisbon breweries. The brewers here truly are creating some great beer!

[@shanojebs]

I'm with you on keeping beers chilled for quality, but the majority of stores I visit have a lot of beers on shelves at room temperature, and in these times where we're encouraged to stay home & get beers delivered, keeping beers constantly refrigerated isn't always practical. Obviously the best before or package date are a good indicator, but is there that much loss of flavour at room temperature? Not that any beers I drink last longer than a few weeks in the can/bottle, but this could potentially affect my beer purchasing. I have a few small independent bottle shops and local breweries in my area who keep everything in fridges, not something I've ever noticed until now, but it's much more convenient to order a package straight from the brewers, which may or may not sit in some courier warehouse for a day or two getting warm.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

So as we imply in the vid (wish we'd made it a bit clearer) there can be severe flavour loss at room temperature but there are a million factors - the actual ambient temp, temp fluctuations, amount of light - but the most important thing (and we do mention it in the video) is the time spent at that temp. If the beer is out of the fridge for a few days then damage will be minimal. If it's been on that shelve a month, it will be very telling. A good video to watch would be this one, where we found just a few hours at the extremes is enough to taste the difference. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYm1ZnWLiNOJaZY

[@shanojebs]

The Craft Beer Channel oh nah my fault, i was genuinely curious, there are so many factors involved, I did miss that bit on temp, I’m always learning all I can, I just thought it was fascinating, cheers guys, have seen a few videos now, really enjoying it... I actually visited the Harp in London after seeing your video there

[@ahabbrau4004]

Good video! As Ahab says: "It's no coincidence that beer rhymes with cheer!"

[@BeerAusRev]

Luckily enough we have a huge craft beer scene in Western Australia. Buy form the source.

[@jameslanaghan93]

I would recommend some the bottle shops of Southampton. They sell a big range of allsorts of beer with helpful staff

[@ScottReviewsThings]

James Lanaghan as a Pompey lad. It pains me to agree. But I do. And Unity is a great brewery too.

[@jameslanaghan93]

@@ScottReviewsThings beer musketeer in Southsea has decent stuff too

[@ScottReviewsThings]

James Lanaghan yeah. I use Jason a lot mate. Great bloke.

[@mattmckenna9320]

On your next trip to NY, take the train out to Bellport Cold Beer and Soda. We have well over 1200 different beers and specialize in vintage stock and fresh Self Distributed Local.

[@slurmz123]

Hello from sunny San Diego where the beer flows like the swallows of Capistrano. Good vid dudes 👍

[@aquaticcatfey]

So. Bottle Logic Stasis brews; y/n?

[@anthonydominguez3762]

San Diego beers >>>>

[@brianrossiter2547]

I would do my beer shopping almost exclusively in independent shops prior to lockdown. But here I am on furlough with an insecure job situation, with a partner who left her job in April, and with loads of expenses coming up in the next year. £1.54 500ml bottles of Pilsner Urquell from Morrisons suddenly look like a pretty smart idea for the foreseeable.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Cant fault you for that at all - Tesco also has some great modern craft beer at pretty good prices. The preferred option is to buy independent but that should not mean anyone feeling guilty for living within their means and being sensible

[@joypistachio493]

I don’t see enough content like this on KZbin and you guys give great advice. Thanks so much!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cedced5936]

When I'm in a Shop and have something interesting in hand that I know nothing about, I check Untappd. In my experience everything over 3.5* is enjoyable and a lot of stuff over 4* is a banger. Cheers, keep up the amazing work.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Over 3.5 is pretty likely to be tasty but there will be some incredible sours and lagers of all kinds below that threshold that deserve a go too! They just dont get rated as highly by most beer geeks.

[@cedced5936]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel that's true. I'm a Lager Fan myself and often noticed that top Notch Pilsners etc. are around 3-3.5*. It's crazy how every Neipa or Adjunct Stout gets crazy ratings regardless of actual quality. Might be a idea for a Video "can I trust Untappd ratings" lol.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

That is the title RIGHT THERE

[@aquaticcatfey]

Currently cellaring some Mak'gora and Ironfoe (an imperial braggot and an imperial stout, both from their Stasis Project line, respectively), both from Bottle Logic, with intent to give friends at the other end of the state a treat. Wish me luck.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Cracking video and really informative.... cheers guys

[@craftchristiansbeerreviews1340]

Advice taken away - I should go straight to the fridge. But... it seems like a lot of the beers I've bought warm off the shelf have still tasted pretty good! Have I been lucky, or is it just my tastebuds that need work?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

You can definitely get tasty stuff of the shelf don't get us wrong - especially if it is very fresh - but it becomes a bit of a lottery so maybe you got lucky, or tend to drink beers less affected by heat (IPAs, lagers, fruit beers)

[@craftchristiansbeerreviews1340]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel what types of beers do you feel are most affected by heat?

[@sarzkazi]

Out here in India, the options are extremely limited in terms of bottled/canned craft beers. Amid the severe lockdown going on currently due to Covid19, the only other viable option is to pick up stuff directly from breweries. Thankfully, there are a bunch of good ones that have come up in the past few years as the craft beer scene continues to grow here in India. Still a long, long way to go though! Watching this video really made me drool at the sight of those bottle shops! Been a long time fan of your channel. Wish you loads of success! Cheers!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Thanks so much! Would love to come and explore the craft beer industry in India one day - who are the good breweries and what kind of stuff are they making?!

[@sarzkazi]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Bangalore city which is located down South, is the craft beer capital of India with maximum number of breweries and a vibrant thriving craft beer scene. Like anywhere else in the world, IPAs particularly the New England style continue to be quite popular! Apart from that, Hefeweizens and Belgian Wits are quite well liked out here. But lots of other styles are also being produced and appreciated. Right from your sour Goses to rich Imperial Stouts! Among the breweries in Pune city (close to Bombay) where I stay, among the good/established breweries are Doolally (they were the first ever in India), Effingut and Independence. Toit (originally from Bangalore) also opened here in Pune last year. Among the newer entrants Yavasura, Great State Aleworks and Kimaya are really good. By the way, Arbor (from US) has a brewery in Bangalore and they also retail some of their beers in select cities as of now. Hope to see you soon in India someday! 😊

[@Trazzt]

I actually stopped buying (ne)ipa's in shops because I kept getting disappointed. Most bottle shops here don't have a lot (if any) refrigeration. Luckily there are a few great local breweries nearby that sell great ipa's.

[@willemvdk4886]

Its so much better seeing you guys together again. Very good advice! Thanks for that. Most bottleshops here in The Netherlands, though, rarely even HAVE a fridge. And if they do, they store like

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Well if you gotta store one style in the fridge at least they pick the right one! But sad to hear that.

[@hencepence]

It's the same with the Swedish state monopoly shops. Only one in the whole country (in Gothenburg) has a fridge...

[@R0bn0tavailableagain]

As an american who has stumbled into this video, I adore the UK way to pronounce "craft" as "cr-awwf-ft" versus the American "cr-ahf-ft"

[@Gabriel2.0]

Also, if you only have the choice of bottles on a shelf, go for the ones at the back of the shelf. Light destroys beer just as much as heat - even in the brown bottles

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Good thought - if they rotate stock it might be fresher too

[@Gabriel2.0]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel wow! You still reply to comments after 6 months! You got my sub! Cheers!🍻

[@oscarBot-bf8ck]

oh man I haven't had Old Freddy Walker in like over two years... I need some back in my life... I totally live by the 'if it says craft on the tin then it ain't craft in the tin', with some exceptions such as Siren Craft Brew coz they're OGs

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Like every rule it has exceptions but it is a REALLY REALLY GOOD rule.

[@casperl6812]

Ay! I'm walking here!

[@craftedculture]

This was great! Helpful tips for all.

[@VloggingBastendo]

Great video. I always go for craftbeer to a great shop called Sterk Amsterdam. They have over 3000 different beer and people who know their stuff. You probably already know it haha.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We've been! Did a video all about the beers we bought from there... though in retrospect the lack of fridges was worrying. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoG5q6muptVgmKM

[@MrFairportInvention]

And now you can do a video about how to spend 40 minutes staring at the freezer (doing complex budget calculations + taste and mood considerations for that weekend selection of beers) without convincing the owner you're a thief or a dangerous freak. Sometimes I even consider apologizing before heading to the freezer... :-)

[@scotskinner4350]

There's only two kinds of places for me to buy beer where I live. Gas stations and grocery stores. There are no independent bottle shops. My grocery store does have a fairly good selection of beer.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Well if the grocery store is stocking great beer then power to them! great to be able to support them.

[@Dummatzen]

This makes me cry. I live in Sweden where the only place you can buy beer is at the state owned shop which by law are not aloud to sell chilled beer. It is a rule to avoid selling beer for immediate consumption. We don't even have independent shops.

[@JosesAmazingWorlds]

What a disgrace. What’s the rationale behind that?

[@eldsprutandedrake]

@@JosesAmazingWorlds It's dumb as hell and it's not really a law, but it is as @Martin Dummatzen says to keep consumption down, non chilled beer, terrible open hours (closes at 3 pm on Saturdays for example), no sales, no better price if you buy in bulk and so on. It has its upsides though and I still think most Swedes support the system, or at least its close to 50/50. I'm personally not that bothered by it but I would for sure welcome a change. My "hack" though is that I live in Gothenburg and have easy access to relatively new store that focuses entirely on craft beer, and they do have a fridge for some reason, first shop in Sweden with one. They also have an extremely high turnover rate on the new fun beer so often you cannot get a can if you're not there the release day. So getting fresh beer is never an issue even for the ones they store on the shelves there. However, the dumbest thing with Swedish alcohol laws is that you cannot buy directly from a producer. There are a lot of great breweries around and some of the have taprooms where you can a drink a beer. But they are not allowed to sell closed containers of their beers (Less than 3,5% ABV is the exception) for you to bring home. So even though I can almost see a brewery I like from my window here I cannot get a can from there, they have to ship it to the government monopoly store and I have to buy it there...

[@darrencullen5254]

Awesome video! Can you list a few of the most ethical breweries?

[@schooldaystories]

Love this channel, just discovered it but already subscribed! See you at the top gentlemen

[@anthonydonley3977]

Is there any way we can get you boys to Cleveland??? Gotta get you into Fatheads and Hopping Frog!!

[@alexcwilde]

Despite never having used Ratebeer or Untappd to do my own reviews (that way madness lies, very good friend who is a 'ticker' and I have seen the mania that descends when we go to a festival etc) , I have slowly begun to consult the profiles of a few users of both whose tastes/reviews have matched my own experiences of particular beers and trusted that those shared tastes extend to other beers they have reviewed. I then use those as a rough guide towards what I will enjoy from the shop. Still very happy to go against their reviews and buy a beer I am really excited to try! Also, I try and make sure that all those reviewers have a relatively long history on the site and a broad range of styles reviewed, to avoid the die hard pastry stout or Tipa fans, though I have been known to enjoy both on occasion! This method does risk annoying those waiting patiently to help you buy the beers though, so I also always ask them first what they would recommend, as they are the ones who know most about their products.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Interesting! Never considered using specific users as a guide on those sites!

[@awesomfog345]

Crazy! Been enjoying your content and you bought that deya from Kentish Town Clapton craft right? I work there!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

No way! Yes I bought it there and do a fair amount of shopping there, but you guys need more fridged stock!

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

I don't have a bottle shop near me as far as I know!? I tend to buy direct from brewery or just in supermarkets. If I get a large order I simply don't have space in the fridge and keep them in the garage. Not sure what else to do.

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

Since then I realised my garage was getting too warm and I bought a 2nd hand Bosch larder fridge on gumtree for £40. Big enough to store up to 200 cans. Perfect.

[@graceybfrg]

Systembolaget (the alchohol monopoly) in Sweden. NO FRIDGE IN SIGHT!

[@smartydix]

I was hoping that was the case only with the ones near me, that's sad.

[@damillionmalania]

I work at Systembolaget and I can tell you that there are several good reasons why we don't use fridges. Because it is a monopoly it is super focused on retaining support from people. Increased prices due to the extra handling would not be appreciated by the masses. It's not even just the extra handling, it's the extra space you would need, less flexibility around when the beer can be unpacked and so forth. There is however a new store that is just opening in Gothenburg which is trying out the concept of a beer store with all bells and whistles. So just as there are some connoisseur stores for wine there are those for beer on the way! Secondly, for the most part our stocks sell out in less than a week. We're not a mom and pop store where the beer stands on a shelf in the back for half a year. Typically the big selling IPAs have a turnaround-time of about a week. You're not getting old beer. I suppose the exception is if you live in a super small city where no one is a craft beer lover and a beer in the excess of 5 bucks a bottle gets put on a shelf. No one is going to pick that up unless you do, and it can sit on a shelf for quite some time. I've seen it happen especially with some of the most expensive sour beers.

[@CathalMacDonnacha]

Great video. So what is a craft beer compared to something like Budweiser or Heineken?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

The way we see it is that it puts flavour and quality first, only using ingredients and processes that enhance flavour and/or respect tradition. So a Budweiser is not, but a Pilsner Urquell is. A Lagunitas IPA is no longer, but a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is.

[@oparra8749]

Thank you for the useful tips ! Always you have something to learn 👍

[@judson_brews]

Talking of shop local, we have a good one which we buy from often and have a good relationship with (shout out to Tap Select Lancashire!). But what do you guys think of the bigger online subscription services?

[@Aubury]

A very recent holiday in California, introduced me to the excellent IPA here. However it is served far far to cold. Efforts to buy a room temperature IPA were met with incredulity. 90% of the taste is lost.

[@damurphy717]

I always try to either buy direct from my local breweries, grocery stores when they are running awesome local beer deals or independent bottle shops, but I've been burned so many times lately on cans that should still be well within their prime and the beers are just terrible. Never sure if that's something to bring to the attention of the bottle shops or not, but just really makes it hard to go back to some shops where you keep getting burned on bad brews.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

You should 100% explain it to the shop! If it's the brewer's fault they should be able to feed that back, and if it is their fault (eg no cold storage) then they need to know to fix it - in the meantime, shop elsewhere.

[@damurphy717]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel - I messaged them about the first one that seemed really off through Facebook, and they saw my message and ignored it. Chalking it up to time to move on to another shop.

[@Dorkmeister9988]

From a brewing perspective in a very small brewery I prefer not to disclose all of the ingredients since we sometimes need to substitute a grain due to available or else we’re unable to produce that beer..

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

That's understandable! We don't necessarily think all the ingredients need to be listed, just the parts that show the drinker exactly what they're getting.

[@purebaldness]

I love all the regional stuff with the two different ranges. 500ml bottles proudly boasting of heritage and tradition - fair enough 330ml cans/bottles of _crafted_ 'American IPA' at 4%

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Indeed - so many breweries think the difference is the can format and use of american hops. Neither of which are requirements to be a craft beer.

[@RohannsReactions]

I'm a Canadian living in Sweden, the liquor stores here are government owned and none of them have refrigerated beer haha 😂 they also open late and close early 😆

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Oh god that is no good. Make sure you check the dates in that case!

[@MM-it9dg]

Great video as always lads. Great topic 👍🏻👍🏻

[@viper29ca]

I love the ones that just put on the can for ingredients: Water, Malt, Hops. And that is it. I mean, you have the whole surface of the can, use it. Unfortunately here in Canada, each province has a gov't run liquor commission, and god only knows what they do with them before they hit the shelves.

[@lschannel8]

Beer is bought in bulk, kept in unrefrigerated warehouses, and shipped to stores when stock dictates it. Our provincial liquor corp will buy a mountain of an IPA (like Collective Arts Ransack the Universe) and hope it lasts them 6-8 months. When it's fresh it's dang good, but you know you'll never get another good shipment again for a long time. I've seen cans up to 8 months old on the shelf or in the fridge. There appears to be no logic as to what's refrigerated and what's left out next to the wine, basically whatever they feel like doing at the time. And of course independent bottle shops are illegal so there's no alternative. Privatization of liquor stores like what they've done in Alberta is the best thing possible for the customer, but the government will never give up the cash cow that's the liquor revenues.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I had no idea it was so controlled in Canada - a real shame to see great breweries aren't getting the treatment they deserve in the off trade

[@nlz242]

Quebec is "kinda relaxed" for local beers, they are sold in convenience stores/bodegas/groceries/specialized shops. Those are handled properly. Beer sold by the SAQ (the gov ran liquor commission) -are- mishandled. New Brunswick's beer stores are pretty good at having beer in the cooler, usually a huge room you have to walk in with a sweatshirt. Can't speak about other provinces tho

[@viper29ca]

@@lschannel8 There are some independent shops. Couple in Halifax, NS, all of Quebec is pretty much that way. I live in NB, and they just relaxed rules here so that nano brewers (those that produce under X amount of beer) are now allowed to sell direct, and don't have to pay a listing fee through the local booze czars. But just for nano brewers. Brew into the micro category and you are back to the normal rules. Cripes here, even to sell their own beer, in their own establishment, they first have to cell it to the gov't agency and then buy it back at a markup, even though the gov't agency never touches it. And, local breweries, if they want their product on the shelves at the gov't run stores, they have to deliver it to the stores themselves. Which is probably a good thing since it doesn't end up sitting in the warehouse for months before it hits store shelves....but still.

[@viper29ca]

@@nlz242 Not all of them in NB are like that though. Still lots that sit on warm shelves, and no telling how long they sat in the warehouse.

[@exetercitycubing408]

It's easy you just go for the most expensive best looking tin.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Lol. Damn it that would have been a MUCH easier video to edit.

[@richardsmith2317]

Brad did too much walking!.he's tuckered out!🤣🍻🍺👍🏻

[@exetercitycubing408]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel haha good video guys

[@danmurawski5790]

Just walk out the bottle shop with 5 Omnipollo sours and one less kidney

[@metalthrashingai2238]

@@danmurawski5790 hahaha good one. Buying 3 Biancas would probably cost you more than buying the most basic round trip Ryanair tickets (at least before the pandemic)

[@oliverhemmings1978]

Bit confusing, did they drink a can that was 1 month past BBD and had been stored at room temperature and say it tasted fresh? Doesn't that negate what they said previously? I would love to see a blind taste from a beer like that compared to a refredirated 'new' canv to see how different it really is.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Apologies if we made that confusing. The beer was CANNED a month ago, not a month past its BBD. So it was still tasting good as it hadn't got old and dusty on the shelf for too long.

[@scottdematteo]

Great video. Cheers.

[@AnonYmous-jp8uu]

PACKAGED ON DATE is the Way

[@4smashed20]

Been having a hard time finding a smooth beer. That really taste like the flavor. Had an orange creamsicle and tasted nothing like it.

[@daviephi]

caps and taps Kentish Town road..my local !!!

[@EduDixie]

There's (almost) no wrong way to buy beer! :D Cheers

[@785paris]

Independent bottle shop? I wish! I live in Ontario Canada.and I have to buy my beer from a government retail store or I have to drive to the brewery. Great content guys. Thanks.

[@willemvdk4886]

A good example of a band-wagoning beer manufacturer here in The Netherlands is Brand. They actually make a very decent pilsner, I must say. But their "supermarket brand" IPA is pretty popular here but it has nothing to do with real IPA. It's just a mildly more bitter and more sweet lager with 6%. It's drinkable, for sure, but no where near a real IPA.

[@danielsacilotto3196]

In my experience, even when refrigerated and canned, hops tend to have a very short shelf life. The aromatics in particular seem fickle and dull down within weeks, let alone months. I generally avoid IPAs that do not have canning dates, even if they have enjoy by dates. Just my two cents though! Cheers!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

hey Daniel - it's an interesting one and breweries tend to release their beers at different points to hit peak flavour. Many, though, think their beer peaks a few weeks after canning and that's generally my experience with DDH beers too. Initially they can be very, very "green" and raw and need time to settle. It's also worth saying that any beer that isn't relatively stable for a few months at 5C is probably pretty poorly made

[@damillionmalania]

In my experience it really depends on the particular beer style. IPA has become a somewhat broad spectrum of beers, some of which are best enjoyed as fresh as possible and some of which might actually improve somewhat with aging. I move around in beer geek circles a lot and I know some people who both brew NEIPAs in 10 days that should be drunk in about the same lenght of time while also stacking their cellars full of malt heavy DIPAs and TIPAs.

[@aa151000]

Great video! So who are the big companies making and selling beer ethically? You said you'd give us this advice in the comments

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Good question! So it depends on where you draw the line on ethics - if it's business practises then most are out (AB InBev, Heineken, Miller Coors, Diageo...even Duvel Moortgat) if you are talking more ethical influence on the planet and people, then we have only found real evidence of immoral practise by Heineken. It seems the big Japanese companies (Asahi and Kirin) have much better approaches to business and ethics than the American and European ones... but that be because we personally know less about them.

[@aa151000]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Good to know, thanks!

[@microbeerreviews]

Good info and video

[@barreltech8949]

Great information

[@jcinsaniac]

While this is so very true...My wife would say you guys are sharpening the fangs of the beer snob I already am. Prost!

[@williampaul8556]

It is amazing the shops that do not care about freshness. I have seen two year olds on the shelf with no refrigeration.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Jeez. I hope that was at least and error!

[@MichaelMohrshipofools]

See it all the time here on West Coast Canada. Many distributers and producers are complete assholes here. They do not allow any inquiry to this whatsoever. I am very careful as to who I buy from and support.

[@paulshirley6383]

Are you buying your craft beer wrong? | The Craft Beer Channel The Craft Beer C love louis shirley

[@goumentzanos]

Your guidelines are of course correct, but you can't really know about bottleshop's back storage. They are usually not in a cold storage before they refill the fridge. Which may not be such a problem in the uk or Denmark, but if you live in Greece that is a problem.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Absolutely - and it is still an issue in the UK too as just room temp is far too hot and cold chain distro is rare. However being stable in the fridge for a few days is still better and a shop with lots of fridges is a good sign.

[@kaylengatzke5498]

What is the thicker craft beers that almost like a slushy n has the sweet or sour flavers

[@DEEPCYCLEGARAGE]

Canned on dates! Less than a month old is ideal, the fresher the better especially IPA's. It seems lagers and pils last longer.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I would caution against fresher the better in many cases - 2 to 6 weeks is best for most IPAs. Straight from the packaging line can be very green!

[@FriedrichBarb]

When you mentioned shelf beer being less quality than refrigerated beer does that also apply for Weißbier? I’ve always bought them from shelf and had no issue

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Much less important for weissbier as it is not very hoppy and sometimes bottle conditioned.

[@FriedrichBarb]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Thanks!

[@Loonypapa]

If there is anyone out there east of the Mississippi who wants to trade beer, I go to Tree House, Six Point, Fox Farm, etc, on the regular, but they only sell by the case. My refrigerator is literally packed floor to ceiling with Haze, Julius, Outlier, Ma, Pearl, etc. I'd be willing to trade can-for-can for anything from Heist, Hop Butcher, TBBC, Hill FS, etc, etc. I also travel frequently for work, so we wouldn't have to mail back and forth.

[@JeffHartman]

Oak Ridge do you live in Oak Ridge? I grew up there. Moved away 27 years ago to teach in Greeneville.

[@richardsmith2317]

It's a willy Wonka moment alright!🤣🍻🍺

[@kw2142]

This is a really informative video, cheers!

[@julianvandercook]

I would also say pull out your smart phone and do a little research. It’s really fun to browse around and just grab some stuff but . . . Beer rating sites aren’t the “Be All” but they are helpful. If something gets a really poor rating it’s probably best to try something else. Opposite is also probably true too but that’s where you get into cost performance. Pliny is good but is it worth what some shops are selling an old bottle for?

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

So long as you are aware of the biases of these sites. A lot of people are put off less hyped styles like the various lagers and unfruited sours because they don't get the ratings, despite often being beautiful, nuanced beers.

[@christianhansen8689]

Best German brewery (in my opinion): Circle 8 (Hamburg)

[@gavinhall2623]

Where did you find the vintage Old Freddy bomber? There's not many left of those bad boys around!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We have had it for years! One of those accidental ageing situations that tends to happen in Brad's house.

[@gavinhall2623]

The Craft Beer Channel well if ever there was a beer that could handle the accidental ageing that inadvertently takes place at Brad’s house - that would be it!

[@georgeturner9567]

Or Fusion! Cracked a bottle of the 2015 the other night and that tasted incredible!

[@duquettebeats6312]

I had a sweetwater g13. Tons of sediment i still drank it lol.

[@mistergustav]

Rule 7? When in doubt, stick to breweries you know deliver on quality? Rule 8, do some research online or on Untappd. Lots of shops are posting new brews to the shop

[@rickhall517930]

Here in Colombia, nothing is as it's labeled. It's literally a game of chance.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Sadly still so true all over the world.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

So what are your top tips for buying beer? Got a system to cut through the noise, or questions you always ask the server?

[@joshuareid7084]

Buy direct from the brewery! Probably one of the best silver linings of lock down is all the local breweries doing some form of distribution.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

@@joshuareid7084 It has been wonderful and if you're buying in bulk it's definitely worth going to the source!

[@oldschoolman1444]

I rarely buy craft beers, I brew my own! =)

[@Prognosis__]

I usually browse for awhile at the craft beer shop on my phone reading reviews on websites before buying. Sadly the international beer shop in my city closed down but I can get great Aussie craft beers at most large liquor stores or buy online.

[@2002chrisking]

My tip. Don't use price as a mark of quality. For example imported US/Scandi beers can have a huge mark up, but you can find equally good/better UK beers for half the price. My local bottle shop has Kernal at £2.30-£2.70 a big bottle. The value can't really be beaten.

[@DarkWildSaison]

Don’t get too attached to style parameters. Otherwise you’ll never drink antything new, anything breaking boundaries.

[@nicolasbertin8552]

I know some shop owners hate it, but I simply bring my phone out, and check the ratings on ratebeer or beeradvocate. And believe me, it makes me buy a LOT more beer than if I didn't use this tool coz I'd be scared to be disappointed. It's especially useful in the US where there's a ton of good beer from very small breweries. Also, when you're in a country, like say France where I live, try to find stuff from other countries. You may have a lot of bad beers in France's bottleshops from say, the UK, Belgium or Spain : they're neighboring countries, so both the good and the bad cross the border easily. But if you see something from Norway, Sweden or Estonia, chances are it'll be good because it's mostly the good that gets here... No one looking for a cheap crappy beer like Heineken will think "oh why don't I get something Norwegian ?". Another trick I've picked up in Australia is to judge the beer by its cover. If you see tons of beers you don't know, and the label is something flashy with big letters, and no info, you can bet it's crap. In Australia, that'd be Pure Blonde, Carlton Draught, that type of thing. But craft breweries usually care about the final product, and will hire graphic designers or do the labels themselves, often with funny results.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Sounds like we need to do a video on how to get the best from beer review sites!