In my experience, this new breed of enthusiast is characterised by generally being above artifice and immune to glossy hard sell. Typical was a group we took a few weeks ago to our brewery in the Czech Republic. A cross-section of our trade, from pub-company directors to freehouse owners, they bombarded our head brewer with questions.
A few years ago that in itself would have been unusual, but the nature of the questions was the most telling. They concerned technicalities that once would have been regarded as strictly for beer geeks.
Now, in contrast, among the enlightened, these matters seem to have become mainstream brewing considerations. It illustrates the way in which the present bout of austerity is transforming the brewery visit from a jolly into an educational occasion — for both brewers and their visitors.
Another positive thing about this development is that breweries will have to be transparent about their brewing practices and prepared to give new-breed visitors chapter and verse if they are to retain the respect of their customers.
Indeed, one of the group on our last visit expressed great disappointment with a visit to a certain famous brewery owned by an international, where lagering times could not be discussed, nor the use of hop extract in place of whole hops explained. That was them right down the pan as far as she was concerned.
If what is happening in America is anything to go by we are going to need these well-educated players more in the future. There, it is alleged, the internationals, in an attempt to recoup ground lost by their big old dinosaur brands, are trying to pinch a share of the burgeoning craft beer market with ‘faux’ beers.
These are beers that are more the creation of a marketing department than a real brewer, the brewery being nothing more than a name on the label. The idea is that these name ‘shells’ are meant to make the beer appear independent to the unwary.
I’m hopeful the new men and women of our business will soon blow the cover of anybody trying it on here.
Tony Jennings is chief executive of Budweiser Budvar UK