Four Points Restaurants Making Points with Beer Crowd

[zymurgest]

According to Metro West Daily News, Sheraton Hotels are having their four points restaurants serving microbrewed beer! The real question in my mind, is, will this be a good thing? I guess that only time will tell for sure. Maybe PubCrawler.com will have more info on this trend.



Prost!



Michel

[BrewBum]

Why would it be a bad thing?

[zymurgest]

Why would it be a bad thing?

Well, that would depend upon who decides what defines a micro brewed beer, and what those who are in power consider to be artisanal beer. For example: Bareknuckle Stout from A-B isn't really a microbrew, but maybe the folks at Sheraton may think otherwise. Also, there could be a strong market placement strategy from the big bucks being coughed up by the market hogs producing swill to influence these decisions. Do you think of A-B when you think of artisanal brewing, or do you think of the likes of Avery, Stone, Three Floyds, 21ts Amendment, Russian River, Lagunitas, etc? All depends on the perspective of the consumer. To the execs of Sheraton, anything that isn't a pale anemic american lager might be thought of as a artisanal microbrewed beer, even if it comes from one of the big fellas. See what my concerns are now?

Prost!

Michel

[Sven]

LAX Sheraton Four Points in Los Angeles has been called the "Beer Hotel" for several years.

They have about 30 Belgian beers in bottle, most with the correct glassware to boot. About another 20 beers can be found on tap as well, only about 25% being Macros.

So if they are following this model then I'd sayt it's a good thing.

[BrewBum]

Why would it be a bad thing?

Well, that would depend upon who decides what defines a micro brewed beer, and what those who are in power consider to be artisanal beer. For example: Bareknuckle Stout from A-B isn't really a microbrew, but maybe the folks at Sheraton may think otherwise. Also, there could be a strong market placement strategy from the big bucks being coughed up by the market hogs producing swill to influence these decisions. Do you think of A-B when you think of artisanal brewing, or do you think of the likes of Avery, Stone, Three Floyds, 21ts Amendment, Russian River, Lagunitas, etc? All depends on the perspective of the consumer. To the execs of Sheraton, anything that isn't a pale anemic american lager might be thought of as a artisanal microbrewed beer, even if it comes from one of the big fellas. See what my concerns are now?

Prost!

Michel

I see what your concerns are but I still don't see anything wrong with them serving A-Bs attempt at Craft Brew. That will only broaden the palate of the general consumer. A broader palate will only increase demand for better beer. The demand will only mean that better beer will become available everywhere. I guess I see the bigger picture of the deal and anything, ANYTHING that starts to educate palates is a good thing. I am not a beer elitist, that gets us no where fast, in fact it gets us closer to wine snobbery and that can only hurt the cause. I say bring it on A-B, you are only diluting your best selling product by opening eyes and mouths to good beer.

[BrewBum]

Just thought I would throw this on here, this is from a guys blog, Lyke2Drink.

n September Lyke2Drink reported from the Great American Beer Festival that Four Points by Sheraton was kicking off the Best Brews program nationwide to position the chain as beer friendly. Now the company has launched a nationwide search for a part-time Chief Beer Officer.

According to a press release for the company "Candidates should possess a bubbly personality, brew eloquence, and a rich knowledge of beer." The Chief Beer Officer will start their duties in mid-January as an independent consultant and will chronicle beer activities on a Four Points beer blog. Ads for the position have been placed in the Wall Street Journal, HotJobs and Monster.com.

The Brewers Association has designated Four Points as the group's preferred hotel. Four Points hotels around the world will offer local, regional and imported craft beers from a list of 300 bottled and draught beers. Participating properties will offer a minimum of four draught beers and a selection of up to 20 bottled beers.

[Chris Vejnovich]

Why would it be a bad thing?

Well, that would depend upon who decides what defines a micro brewed beer, and what those who are in power consider to be artisanal beer. For example: Bareknuckle Stout from A-B isn't really a microbrew, but maybe the folks at Sheraton may think otherwise. Also, there could be a strong market placement strategy from the big bucks being coughed up by the market hogs producing swill to influence these decisions. Do you think of A-B when you think of artisanal brewing, or do you think of the likes of Avery, Stone, Three Floyds, 21ts Amendment, Russian River, Lagunitas, etc? All depends on the perspective of the consumer. To the execs of Sheraton, anything that isn't a pale anemic american lager might be thought of as a artisanal microbrewed beer, even if it comes from one of the big fellas. See what my concerns are now?

Prost!

Michel

I see what your concerns are but I still don't see anything wrong with them serving A-Bs attempt at Craft Brew. That will only broaden the palate of the general consumer. A broader palate will only increase demand for better beer. The demand will only mean that better beer will become available everywhere. I guess I see the bigger picture of the deal and anything, ANYTHING that starts to educate palates is a good thing. I am not a beer elitist, that gets us no where fast, in fact it gets us closer to wine snobbery and that can only hurt the cause. I say bring it on A-B, you are only diluting your best selling product by opening eyes and mouths to good beer.

I agree with Brewbum here. Zym, think back to your very first homebrew, or maybe even your very first AG homebrew. I bet you thought that beer was awesome, even if today you wouldn't drink that beer.

Anyways, that is just me.

Peace out.

[zymurgest]

I guess you guys all missed my point. That is to say, what prevents the HUGE market hawgs from pushing out the little guys on a budget, and forcing their will onto the consumer, rather than the other way around? It wouldn't take much for the people at 4 points to be swayed by A-B's money muscle over better quality products that couldn't stand a chance of a snowball in hell compared to A-B's marketing budget. Last year A-B spent more on their marketing budget than all the micros spent combined! This kind of ninja looting goes on all the time, and I was just concerned that some exec who wouldn't know a Pilsner Urquell from a PBR would say, "gee, this bare knuckle stout is pretty good stuff, and we get a huge kickback from A-B too, so the heck with Obsidian stout, who needs some poor excuse for a business here?" It all comes down to the phat white guy in the three piece suit making decisions about what he knows best -- the bottom line, and that means mass marketing, not good taste and quality products. Money talks, and everything else walks. That's the way business is unfortunately done in America atm. Hopefully, the folks at 4 points are a little more enlightened, but I've worked a long time in the industry, so I'm doubtful this will translate well, just due to the huge economic pressure to relent to the lowest common denominator. Sorry if I sound cynical, but my skepticism is tempered by sardonic experiences.

Prost!

Michel