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(Courtesy Molson Coors)
White Shield IPA, a legend in the United Kingdom, has been put on “pause,” and beer lovers are pissed. We’ve that “Words to Drink By” and more.
Molson Coors Retires Legendary IPA in UK
Worthington’s White Shield IPA, a legend in the United Kingdom has been put on “pause,” an action some have called “a travesty.”
“White Shield is widely accepted as an integral part of UK brewing history,” reports The Drinks Business. “It is one of the last surviving brands that stretches back to the 19th century and brewer William Worthington’s production at Burton-upon-Trent.”
“During the birth of the Campaign for Real Ale and the rise of pasteurized keg and lager beer in the 1960s and 1970s, White Shield was lauded by ale fans as one of very few surviving bottle-conditioned ales, and it managed to continue all the way through to the modern craft beer revolution.”
But now the “craft beer revolution” slowing in the UK Molson Coors has decided to retire White Shied IPA although the brewer told DB that the brand will still be available on draught.
Renowned beer writer Pete Brown called the company’s decision to “pause” the iconic heritage IPA “a travesty.”
“If there is any reason to discontinue it, that can only be down to Molson Coors failing to understand the jewel in their crown and not knowing what to do with it. For years, people who aren’t even that into beer have been asking me where they can get it, and why it’s less visible than it used to be. This has nothing to do with changing trends or consumer demand, it is business and marketing incompetence.”
Words to Drink By
“No one is like you. Don’t read books by successful people thinking they apply to you. You have to find out what you do best.” – Bob Lefsetz, Music industry writer and media analyst
Craft Beer Posts 0% Growth in 2022
It’s been said that “it ain’t over, till it’s over” but now a national beer trade organization is saying that after decades of double-digit growth craft beer’s successful run might in fact be over.
When Bart Watson, chief economist of the Brewers Association, took to the stage to present his state of the industry address at the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville, he did his best to keep things positive while at the same time acknowledging that the industry had “matured” and lost its once red-hot momentum.
“Years of double-digit growth are well in the rearview mirror,” Watson told the more than 12,000 conference attendees.” And unless something changes, I don’t think we’re going to see them again anytime soon.”
“At one time, the Brewers Association had a stated goal of craft beer representing 20% of the overall beer industry,” according to Forbes. “But with the announcement of no growth in 2022, that percentage may have peaked at its current 13% by volume, though it does represent 25% of the beer market by dollars, since craft beer is generally more expensive than the beer sold by the large multi-national brewers.
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