So Many Beers, So Little Time<\/em><\/h2>\nby Chauncey B, the So Cal Craft Beer Blogger<\/em><\/p>\nLast week a friend (and SCCBB reader) sent a link to a New York Times<\/em> guest Opinion essay, \u201cWacky Labels and Silly Names are Killing Craft Beer<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d The essay, by former Wall Street Journal reporter Mark Robichaux, makes some valid points, though the headline is terrible.<\/p>\nI teach business writing at the University of Southern California, and Mr. Robichaux\u2019s opening paragraph does exactly what I tell my students to do \u2014 grabs my attention and impresses me to keep me reading . Robichaux instantly evokes a parallel memory. \u201cFrom that first stolen sip of my father\u2019s Schlitz\u2026\u201d Yeah, that\u2019s where I started, too.<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/socalcraftbeerblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/schlitz_highnote.jpg?w=439\")
Original 1942 vintage magazine ad for Schlitz Beer,
courtesy of attic paper.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThen Robichaux waxes philosophical in a way that resonated with me: \u201cBeer has always been more than a drink. It\u2019s a reward. A ritual. A refuge. But even I can admit: Beer has a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Citing a December 2023 article from NBC News, Robichaux reports that beer consumption fell to its lowest level in decades. He cites demographic issues (fewer younger drinkers) and problems with its image as a \u201ccarb-heavy relic for dads and dullards.\u201d He also claims that the drinking rate among Americans is at its lowest since the 1930s, according to an August 2025 Gallup pole.<\/p>\n
More alarming, perhaps, is Robichaux\u2019s reporting that, \u201caccording to the Brewers Association, craft beer sales fell 4 percent last year,\u201d and that, \u201cfor the first time in two decades, more breweries closed than opened.\u201d <\/p>\n
Among Robichaux\u2019s targets are the higher alcohol double, triple, hazy, juicy, and dank India Pale Ales (IPAs). \u201cBeer isn\u2019t bourbon,\u201d Robichaux complains, \u201cYou don\u2019t swirl it in a snifter and reflect on your childhood. You drink a few, with friends, and it\u2019s supposed to refresh, not knock you out.\u201d <\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/socalcraftbeerblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/screen-shot-2023-06-30-at-5.16.56-pm.png?w=236\")
Best Pilsner in California:
Berkeley\u2019s Trumer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIt was at this point in the essay that I reflected on my own current tastes and predilections. I\u2019m much more interested in drinking lower alcohol, well-crafted Mexican lagers, Pilsners, Kolsches, ambers, and stouts, paired with delicious food. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m eating far fewer desserts than in my callow youth and I gave up colas and other sugary sodas years ago. So, often when I sip the latest \u201cgotta have it\u201d hazy, it just tastes so over-the-top sweet that it makes my teeth ache and wipes out half the taste buds in my palate. And then I wonder if I\u2019m going to have to call someone to give me a lift home.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s just me. I wholeheartedly support people drinking beer that they like. And if it\u2019s a bourbon-barrel-aged quadruple hazy stout, sour, or \u201cother strong beer,\u201d more power to you. <\/p>\n
Robichaux goes on to have some fun with absurd beer names and graphic design, which don\u2019t really bother me as much as they bother him. He then closes his essay affirming that beer should be \u201cthe drink of moderation, laughter, and second rounds.\u201d It\u2019s a point of view. <\/p>\n
I would argue that there all kinds of ways to drink the myriad styles, brands, and versions of beer out there (see below) in moderation<\/em>, definitely with laughter, and quite often with second rounds, or at the very least, tasters. Reminds me of a tee-shirt I saw once (or twice): \u201cSo many beers, so little time!\u201d<\/p>\nOne last pair of thoughts: the number of breweries closing versus those opening is strictly a function of the marketplace, not an indication of craft beer\u2019s demise or lack of popularity. And sales might be falling because of an uptick in craft ciders and hard seltzers and even a resurgence of interest in cocktails on the part of the youth demographic.<\/p>\n
And if we were talking about cars as opposed to craft beer, would you say that certain connoisseurs\u2019 predilection for Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptails ($32M), Bugatti La Voiture Noires ($18.7M), or Pagani Zonda HP Barchettas ($17.5M) is threatening the Average Joe or Josephine\u2019s enjoyment of his Subaru Crosstrek or her Ram 1500 pickup truck? Apples and oranges, if you ask me.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your take on this? Please comment, either by using the comment feature (which doesn\u2019t work the way I\u2019d like it to) or by emailing us at socalcraftbeer@gmail.com.<\/p>\n
Great American Beer Festival 2025<\/h2>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/socalcraftbeerblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gabf25-awards12.jpg?w=1024\")
Photo \u00a9 Brewers Association<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s great to peruse the list of GABF winners every year to see which breweries that we\u2019ve covered have won awards, and which SoCal breweries that we HAVEN\u2019T yet covered have taken home bronze, silver, or gold. Both Lawless in North Hollywood and Los Molinos in San Clemente are in this latter category, and are begging for a visit.<\/p>\n
Judges at GABF evaluate 108 styles of beer, many with multiple sub-categories. You\u2019ve probably heard of a lot of them. But have you heard of Smoke Beer (Style 36, with six sub-categories, such as \u201cOther Smoke Beer\u201d and \u201cBamberg-Style Helles Rauchbier\u201d) or \u201cSwedish-Style Gotlandsdricke\u201d in the Historical Beer category (Style 23, with eight sub-categories)? Neither have I.<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/socalcraftbeerblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/gabf25-awards06-vinnie-natalie.jpg?w=1024\")
Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing, which took Silver in this year\u2019s new category, \u201cVera Hop Beer<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d
\u201cThe hop is named for\u00a0Vera Katherine Charles<\/strong>, one of three female mycologists employed by the USDA in the early decades of the twentieth century, as a tribute to the important contributions these women made to the long-term sustainability of the hop industry. Vera has a tropical, stone fruit, and citrus aroma profile and is pest and disease resistant with high yield potential.\u201d
Photo & quote \u00a9 Brewers Association<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe average beers entered in each category is 71. The Top Five most-entered beer style categories are:<\/p>\n
\n- Category 107: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (301 entries)\n<\/li>\n
- Category 105: West Coast India Pale Ale (300 entries)\n
\n- San Clemente\u2019s Los Molinos Beer Company took Silver in this category
Note to self: time for a road trip to San Clemente<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n- Category 51: Dortmund or German-Style Oktoberfest (186 entries)<\/li>\n
- Category 47: German-Style Pilsener (184 entries)<\/li>\n
- Category 45: Hoppy Lager (171 entries)\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The most-medaled breweries include:<\/p>\n
\n- Fat Head\u2019s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH (2 golds, 1 silver, 2 bronze)<\/li>\n
- UPP Liquids, Bend, OR (2 golds, 2 silvers, 1 bronze)<\/li>\n
- Westbound and Down Brewing Company\u2013Westbound Mill, Lafayette, CO (2 golds, 2 silvers, 1 bronze) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Here\u2019s a LINK to ALL THIS YEAR\u2019S WINNERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nAnd here\u2019s a LINK TO ALL WINNERS IN CALIFORNIA<\/a><\/strong>. In this category, it\u2019s nice to see some of our favorite SoCal breweries, like Radiant<\/a><\/strong>, ISM<\/a><\/strong> (scroll down to \u201cMarch\u201d on this link), Green Cheek<\/a><\/strong>, North Park<\/a><\/strong>, and Claremont.<\/p>\n
Last week a friend (and SCCBB reader) sent a link to a New York Times<\/em> guest Opinion essay, \u201cWacky Labels and Silly Names are Killing Craft Beer<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d The essay, by former Wall Street Journal reporter Mark Robichaux, makes some valid points, though the headline is terrible.<\/p>\n I teach business writing at the University of Southern California, and Mr. Robichaux\u2019s opening paragraph does exactly what I tell my students to do \u2014 grabs my attention and impresses me to keep me reading . Robichaux instantly evokes a parallel memory. \u201cFrom that first stolen sip of my father\u2019s Schlitz\u2026\u201d Yeah, that\u2019s where I started, too.<\/p>\n Then Robichaux waxes philosophical in a way that resonated with me: \u201cBeer has always been more than a drink. It\u2019s a reward. A ritual. A refuge. But even I can admit: Beer has a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Citing a December 2023 article from NBC News, Robichaux reports that beer consumption fell to its lowest level in decades. He cites demographic issues (fewer younger drinkers) and problems with its image as a \u201ccarb-heavy relic for dads and dullards.\u201d He also claims that the drinking rate among Americans is at its lowest since the 1930s, according to an August 2025 Gallup pole.<\/p>\n More alarming, perhaps, is Robichaux\u2019s reporting that, \u201caccording to the Brewers Association, craft beer sales fell 4 percent last year,\u201d and that, \u201cfor the first time in two decades, more breweries closed than opened.\u201d <\/p>\n Among Robichaux\u2019s targets are the higher alcohol double, triple, hazy, juicy, and dank India Pale Ales (IPAs). \u201cBeer isn\u2019t bourbon,\u201d Robichaux complains, \u201cYou don\u2019t swirl it in a snifter and reflect on your childhood. You drink a few, with friends, and it\u2019s supposed to refresh, not knock you out.\u201d <\/p>\n It was at this point in the essay that I reflected on my own current tastes and predilections. I\u2019m much more interested in drinking lower alcohol, well-crafted Mexican lagers, Pilsners, Kolsches, ambers, and stouts, paired with delicious food. <\/p>\n I\u2019m eating far fewer desserts than in my callow youth and I gave up colas and other sugary sodas years ago. So, often when I sip the latest \u201cgotta have it\u201d hazy, it just tastes so over-the-top sweet that it makes my teeth ache and wipes out half the taste buds in my palate. And then I wonder if I\u2019m going to have to call someone to give me a lift home.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s just me. I wholeheartedly support people drinking beer that they like. And if it\u2019s a bourbon-barrel-aged quadruple hazy stout, sour, or \u201cother strong beer,\u201d more power to you. <\/p>\n Robichaux goes on to have some fun with absurd beer names and graphic design, which don\u2019t really bother me as much as they bother him. He then closes his essay affirming that beer should be \u201cthe drink of moderation, laughter, and second rounds.\u201d It\u2019s a point of view. <\/p>\n I would argue that there all kinds of ways to drink the myriad styles, brands, and versions of beer out there (see below) in moderation<\/em>, definitely with laughter, and quite often with second rounds, or at the very least, tasters. Reminds me of a tee-shirt I saw once (or twice): \u201cSo many beers, so little time!\u201d<\/p>\n One last pair of thoughts: the number of breweries closing versus those opening is strictly a function of the marketplace, not an indication of craft beer\u2019s demise or lack of popularity. And sales might be falling because of an uptick in craft ciders and hard seltzers and even a resurgence of interest in cocktails on the part of the youth demographic.<\/p>\n And if we were talking about cars as opposed to craft beer, would you say that certain connoisseurs\u2019 predilection for Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptails ($32M), Bugatti La Voiture Noires ($18.7M), or Pagani Zonda HP Barchettas ($17.5M) is threatening the Average Joe or Josephine\u2019s enjoyment of his Subaru Crosstrek or her Ram 1500 pickup truck? Apples and oranges, if you ask me.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your take on this? Please comment, either by using the comment feature (which doesn\u2019t work the way I\u2019d like it to) or by emailing us at socalcraftbeer@gmail.com.<\/p>\n It\u2019s great to peruse the list of GABF winners every year to see which breweries that we\u2019ve covered have won awards, and which SoCal breweries that we HAVEN\u2019T yet covered have taken home bronze, silver, or gold. Both Lawless in North Hollywood and Los Molinos in San Clemente are in this latter category, and are begging for a visit.<\/p>\n Judges at GABF evaluate 108 styles of beer, many with multiple sub-categories. You\u2019ve probably heard of a lot of them. But have you heard of Smoke Beer (Style 36, with six sub-categories, such as \u201cOther Smoke Beer\u201d and \u201cBamberg-Style Helles Rauchbier\u201d) or \u201cSwedish-Style Gotlandsdricke\u201d in the Historical Beer category (Style 23, with eight sub-categories)? Neither have I.<\/p>\n The average beers entered in each category is 71. The Top Five most-entered beer style categories are:<\/p>\n The most-medaled breweries include:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a LINK to ALL THIS YEAR\u2019S WINNERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n And here\u2019s a LINK TO ALL WINNERS IN CALIFORNIA<\/a><\/strong>. In this category, it\u2019s nice to see some of our favorite SoCal breweries, like Radiant<\/a><\/strong>, ISM<\/a><\/strong> (scroll down to \u201cMarch\u201d on this link), Green Cheek<\/a><\/strong>, North Park<\/a><\/strong>, and Claremont.<\/p>\n
courtesy of attic paper.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Berkeley\u2019s Trumer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nGreat American Beer Festival 2025<\/h2>\n
\u201cThe hop is named for\u00a0Vera Katherine Charles<\/strong>, one of three female mycologists employed by the USDA in the early decades of the twentieth century, as a tribute to the important contributions these women made to the long-term sustainability of the hop industry. Vera has a tropical, stone fruit, and citrus aroma profile and is pest and disease resistant with high yield potential.\u201d
Photo & quote \u00a9 Brewers Association<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
Note to self: time for a road trip to San Clemente<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n
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<\/figure>\n