38 replies to this topic

[drewseslu]

I've been putting more thought into the eventual place of my own that I would like to open, and I have a pretty good idea of the regular beers that I would like to brew and sell.So, if you could have any ten styles (six static and four rotating in and out) over eight or so taps, what would they be?The lineup running through my mind at the moment: -R indicates 'rotator'Belgians:WitbierDubbelGolden Strong Ale - RAles:Rye IPAOatmeal American BrownESB(Smoked?) Strong Scotch Ale - RLagers/Hybrids:Classic American PilsnerCalifornia Common - RDusseldorf Altbier - RBaltic Porter

[3rd party JKor]

More important than the tap list, are pants optional?

[tag]

Starter beer - Blond Ale with subtle hop aroma and/or American Wheat, sometimes with fruit. Can also use hefe yeast on occasion. Maybe an English brown ale.APA, IPA, Fresh Hop in the Fall, IIPAs whenever I feel like itBrown Porter, Export Stout, seasonal RIS (and barrel-aging)Vienna lager and Bohemian Pilsner year-round, CAP in Summer, Oktoberfest in the Fall, Baltic Porter in Winter and occasional Dopplebock (sometimes doppel-Maibock and Imp. Pilsner)Old Ale in the early Winter, sometimes spiced American Barleywine for special occasions, barrel-aging, and for regular customersoccasional Dubbel, Tripel, Golden Strong and Dark Strong - maybe rotating through the year?occasional Wee HeavyHmmm, that's about 15 taps.Firkin FridaysAnd root beer or Cream Ale for the kids and DDs

[Thirsty]

My business plan has the following:Abbey aleBelg blondAm brownAm amberoatmeal stoutKolschImpy IPAI plan on rotating in 2 guest beers as well

[cavman]

I've been putting more thought into the eventual place of my own that I would like to open, and I have a pretty good idea of the regular beers that I would like to brew and sell.So, if you could have any ten styles (six static and four rotating in and out) over eight or so taps, what would they be?The lineup running through my mind at the moment: -R indicates 'rotator'Belgians:WitbierDubbelGolden Strong Ale - RAles:Rye IPAOatmeal American BrownESB(Smoked?) Strong Scotch Ale - RLagers/Hybrids:Classic American PilsnerCalifornia Common - RDusseldorf Altbier - RBaltic Porter

For Belgians I'd make the wit the seasonal and the BSG regular(maybe not an over the top version)For Ales Drop the oatmeal on the brown or just leave it out of the name and make the ESB a cross between a true ESB and an APA.I like the lager/hybrids just make sure that Dussy is hopped at the high end of the category as I love a hopped up alt. Either way good luck Drew

[Salsgebom]

Obviously an American Light Lager, American Premium Lager, American Amber Lager, and a seasonal higher alcohol American Specialty Lager. I'd brew with a superior quality 2-row and never go above 35% adjunct. I'll also use top notch Saaz and Hallertaur varieties and make sure you can taste them.

[MolBasser]

If you aren't serving APA, you're not a brewpub in my opinion.MolBasser

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

If you aren't serving APA, you're not a brewpub in my opinion.MolBasser

the gauntlet has been thrown down!

[Sidney Porter]

If you aren't serving APA, you're not a brewpub in my opinion.MolBasser

What if you are serving german food and all german styles?

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

What if you are serving german food and all german styles?

I'd say you better have an altbier then

[Big Nake]

If you aren't serving APA, you're not a brewpub in my opinion.MolBasser

Yeah, I was appalled at the lack of your typical pale ale. Come on guys, you gasta have a pale ale on your chalk board. I would make any off-the-map beer (say, a Belgian Dubbel) a seasonal or rotating beer. The mainstays have to be something straight down the middle... a red, a pale a blonde, an amber ale or lager, a pilsner, maybe a wheat for the banana-heads, maybe a West Coast lager. The seasonals would be Oktobers, maybe a spiced-pumpkin, a winter-warmer, a Kölsch in the spring, etc. Occasionally break out a bourbon-barrel beer or whatever. If you don't have the standards, I would think you'd have trouble.

[Big Nake]

What if you are serving german food and all german styles?

I think you could do this & my site is heavy on the German styles. You could cover a lot of bases with Kölsch, Alt, Oktober/Marzen/Vienna, German/Bohemian Pils, Bock, German Hefe, Doppels, Helles, etc. Use those to wash down the weinerschnitzel & spoetzl. Oh, and don't forget the Bavarian Bier Pretzels! Prost and Zum Wohl!

[Howie]

I've been putting more thought into the eventual place of my own that I would like to open, and I have a pretty good idea of the regular beers that I would like to brew and sell.So, if you could have any ten styles (six static and four rotating in and out) over eight or so taps, what would they be?The lineup running through my mind at the moment: -R indicates 'rotator'Belgians:WitbierDubbelGolden Strong Ale - RAles:Rye IPAOatmeal American BrownESB(Smoked?) Strong Scotch Ale - RLagers/Hybrids:Classic American PilsnerCalifornia Common - RDusseldorf Altbier - RBaltic Porter

Yeah, I'm thinking that's too much Belgian. Most patrons are not going to drink Belgian beers. I'm thinking you also need some kind of "starter" beer if you want to be successful (unless you are going to also sell BMC products). You might cover the starter angle with the CAP, depending on how you brew it.

[3rd party JKor]

You know, as sad as it is, the success of the lineup has more to do with how creative you are in naming the beers than what style they are. Bar and brewpubs are built on beer lovers, but thrive on the uninitiated. I guarantee you if you had two brewpubs with the same lineup and one had creative names for the beers, while the other just used the style name, the BP with the creative names would fare better. People who care about beer are going to read the description or ask the bartender what the style is, people who don't will just pick out what has a cool name.

[nbbeerguy]

Not sure about the beer but nothing better than a pint and some pan seared haddock rolled in flour and sprinkled with lemon pepper and some fresh cut fries most of the brew pubs ive been in dont pay enough attention to the food and 99% all serve the same foods I worked in a kitchen where none of the seafood was deep fried but pan fried and food sales were crazy because it was different from your typical brew pub fare...The cooks need to step outside the box and design dishes that compliment the fantastic brews. And also have daily specials that are concocted that day tby the kitchen staff so each day has a unique dish that is not on the menu so people keep coming back wondering what unique meal they will be able to enjoy Also brew pubs are great for people who enjoy the craft beer but most BMC drinkers never vary from the norm so great food will bring in the outsiders and open their eyes to something other than the BMC swill

Edited by nbbeerguy, 07 October 2009 - 08:29 AM.

[drewseslu]

Yeah, I'm thinking that's too much Belgian. Most patrons are not going to drink Belgian beers. I'm thinking you also need some kind of "starter" beer if you want to be successful (unless you are going to also sell BMC products). You might cover the starter angle with the CAP, depending on how you brew it.

2.5 Belgians is too much? What about for all the Blue Moon fans out there? These days a Wit is an intro beer. The CAP also fits that category. If the dubbel at MBC wasn't one of the fastest movers that I brew (behind the Wit, and just ahead of the APA), I wouldn't put it in the normal rotation.As far as a lack of APA...how about changing one letter...Rye APA.Also if I were to follow that logic the lineup would probably look like this: Amber Ale, APA, Helles, Am Wheat, Dry Stout, Kolsch...*yawn*...Perhaps I phrased the question wrong to begin with, rather than 'what should I have', lets go with 'what would your ideal brewpub serve'?

[BrianBrewerKS]

Not sure about the beer but nothing better than a pint and some pan seared haddock rolled in flour and sprinkled with lemon pepper and some fresh cut fries most of the brew pubs ive been in dont pay enough attention to the food and 99% all serve the same foods I worked in a kitchen where none of the seafood was deep fried but pan fried and food sales were crazy because it was different from your typical brew pub fare...The cooks need to step outside the box and design dishes that compliment the fantastic brews. And also have daily specials that are concocted that day tby the kitchen staff so each day has a unique dish that is not on the menu so people keep coming back wondering what unique meal they will be able to enjoy Also brew pubs are great for people who enjoy the craft beer but most BMC drinkers never vary from the norm so great food will bring in the outsiders and open their eyes to something other than the BMC swill

+1You can have the best beer in the world at your brewpub, but if the food isn't great too...the brewpub won't last long.

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

Fantasy Brewpub line up. 6 rotating taps. 4 fixed.R1 Barrel Aged -Imperial Red, BW, RISR2 IPA rotating hopsR3 Seasonal Amber/Dark Lager -Vienna/Schwarz,October,DoppelbockR4 Seasonal Light Lager -Maibock,CAP,Dort,PilsR5 Sour/FunkR6 Belgian/Belgian Specialty1 Am Brown2 Wit3 APA4 Robust Porter

[Big Nake]

Also if I were to follow that logic the lineup would probably look like this: Amber Ale, APA, Helles, Am Wheat, Dry Stout, Kolsch...*yawn*...

What if your loyal customers liked Amber ale, APA, Helles, Am Wheat, Dry Stout and Kölsch? Would it be worth it to you to have a successful brewpub where the beers you brewed were a hit with the local citizenry but a bore for you to brew? I was watching a show where the hosts were at Rock Bottom brewery in Milwaukee and the brewer had all of these beers out on the bar... a Saison, a bourbon stout, a Belgian something-or-other, etc. On the screen, a caption read, Their best selling beer is "Downtown Light" which is not surprising. If this is a brewpub that exists only in your mind, I think you're fine. But if you truly want to open a brewpub someday, you can't be sure that the beers the customers want to drink will be the same beers you want to brew. Cheers.

[stellarbrew]

I would think that ultimately the line-up of beers you settle on will be dictated by your customers. Just as an example, if your Witbier is drying up fast and your California Common is aging in the keg longer than you would like, then you might end up doubling up on the Wit and crossing the California Common off the list. If your Dusseldorf Altbier is a big hit, you might decide to keep it on tap all the time to keep drawing in the people who love it. Of course there's nothing to keep you from regularly developing a creative new beer and putting it out there to see if it's the next big hit. There will always be a a certain number of patrons who will be eager to try something completely new.