More Beer Drama

[Josh]

More drama in the beer world. Dogfish Head's reality show "Brew Masters" has been cancelled. Anthony Bourdain has claimed that "Big Beer" threatened to pull advertising from the Discovery Channel if they continued to air the show. For those of you unfamiliar with Bourdain, he's like a punk rock Rick Steves.

http://beerandwhiskeybros.com/2011/01/06/discoverys-brew-masters-cancelled/

http://beerandwhiskeybros.com/2011/03/30/was-brewmasters-killed-by-big-beer/

Any thoughts? Is Bourdain just talking out of his boney ass or is there something to it? Is a show about a microbrewer (albeit a large and well-known one) really enough of a threat for "Big Beer" to threaten a cable network over?

[DeanSheen]

I would not put it past big beer to pull a stunt like that.

Bourdain is made so he does not have to capitulate. I'm guessing this thing has legs.

[T Comp]

Any thoughts? Is Bourdain just talking out of his boney ass or is there something to it? Is a show about a microbrewer (albeit a large and well-known one) really enough of a threat for "Big Beer" to threaten a cable network over?

Count me on the there is something to it side of things. "Big Beer" already does its best to crush true independents in the Chicago saloon business. They dominate the distributor company business to the point where the common practice is for high volume bars to have an exclusive with either Anheuser Busch InBev or MillerCoors. This means guaranteed promotion and cash for a bar only carrying all of the products owned by that comapny and with that one particular beer distributor. This week also saw the acquisition of the majority share of Goose Island by Inbev. Further brief explanation at least of the Chicago market can be found here

http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2010/11/22/2761421-why-cheap-shitty-beer-is-so-cheap-and-shitty-in-chicago

[SBOmarc]

I would not put it past big beer to pull a stunt like that.

Bourdain is made so he does not have to capitulate. I'm guessing this thing has legs.

I see this the same way. Bourdain has credibility on such matters and I for one am pleased that he has shed light on the subject.

I would like to see Discovery and other networks be able to tell big beer to stick it, but that is a big chunk of add dollars to piss off.

[doubleblank]

The show held my interest for an episode or two, but then seemed to not be adding much new to "knowledge" of beer, etc. So, whatever the reason for canceling, I won't miss the show.

Randy

[callmeox]

IMO, reality shows thrive on drama (real or manufactured). How much drama is there at a microbrewery?

Will the barley show up on time for the next batch? (DUN DUN DUN!!!) :grin:

[OscarV]

(DUN DUN DUN!!!) :grin:

I think you are short one DUN.

Shouldn't it be DUN DUN (slight pause) DUN DUN?

[craigthom]

The show held my interest for an episode or two, but then seemed to not be adding much new to "knowledge" of beer, etc. So, whatever the reason for canceling, I won't miss the show.

Randy

Me, either. It struck me as more of an infomercial for Dogfish Head than anything else. It may be cancelled because it's just not that good.

I do like some of their beers, and I like that they are doing odd, experimental things, some of which I have tried and liked, but I don't like their "aren't we cool?" attitude.

They are one of several dozen breweries in the U.S. doing great things these days. I'm tired of seeing them singled out as the poster child for craft brewing. They are the most successful at getting attention, I'll give them that, but they aren't making beer any better than dozens of others.

[SBOmarc]

I guess that we will never know if it was pulled because the show was not that good,or was it a victim of corporate pressure on the network.

[cigarnv]

I got tired of it halfway through the first episode....