For Better or Worse: Craft Beer's McDonald's

Ray Kroc made his first visit to McDonald's in 1954. He was a milkshake mixer salesman at the time and brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald had purchased eight mixers for their San Bernardino restaurant.

Kroc was impressed with what he saw. Having visited a lot of restaurant kitchens in the years following World War II, he came to believe the McDonald brothers had the most efficient operation he had seen. The place was professional, clean, somewhat automated. To Kroc, it looked like a concept that could be expanded nationally.

There was no such thing as fast food at the time. Kroc surmised that most roadside hamburger joints were grubby havens that mostly featured inconsistent food, pay phones, jukeboxes and smoking rooms. His vision was of a chain that would appeal to the emerging suburban culture with a consistent menu, uniformed attendants and squeaky clean spaces.

Most of the rest of the story is well-known. Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald's in Illinois in 1955. He would go on to establish a fast-food empire that today spans the globe. In fact, it isn't a stretch to suggest that Kroc and McDonald's launched a worldwide fast food revolution...for better or for worse, depending on your point of view.

Watching craft beer gain a foothold national and internationally, I've occasionally wondered if there could be a craft beer version of McDonald's. Such a chain would feature consistent branding, similar building designs, common beers and food, etc. There are some pretty good reasons why this will probably never happen. Still, I wonder.

One thing we have seen and are continuing to see is craft beer chains (multiple locations) that function well locally and regionally. McMenamins is a good example here. The brothers started out in the Portland area and have expanded in Oregon and Washington. I'm not sure how far the quirky McMenamins brand can go. My guess is the regional I-5 corridor is its sweet spot.

Some brief, forgotten history. The founders of Portland Brewing (in 1986) envisioned a string of brewpubs up and down the I-5 corridor from Washington to California. It never happened, Art Larrance told me, because the company's board of directors wouldn't agree to it. Given the trajectory of Portland Brewing, that was fortuitous.

Of course, there are successful local craft beer chains beyond McMenamins. Hopworks, Laurelwood, Lompoc and Lucky Labrador have operated multiple locations for years. More recent entrants include Breakside, Migration, Von Ebert (soon) and Sasquatch. There are will be others.

It's difficult to see any of those entities being gobbled up by an investor capable of taking it national. The notable exception to that rule is 10 Barrel, which is owned by Anheuser-Busch and already has brewpubs outside Oregon (San Diego, Boise, Denver). The 10 Barrel concept was designed such that it could take up residence almost anywhere.

In fact, if there's anyone out there with the will and the means to establish a national brewpub chain, it's probably Anheuser-Busch. Of the acquired AB craft brands, 10 Barrel likely makes the most sense. Golden Road, also a generic brand without a plausible connection to place, is another possible candidate.

There's an interesting dichotomy at work here. While 10 Barrel and Golden Road have potential as national brands due to their lack of connection to place, Goose Island is thought to be a poor choice because of its strong connection to place (Chicago). And Kona, which will very likely end up the AB family of brands in the near future, is considered an excellent choice for a national pub brand because of its strong connection to place. Ironic, eh?

Anyway, the case against a national brewpub brand is strong and rests mainly on the fact that craft beer is hyper-local. Consumers around the county are seeking out unique beers made by local breweries, and there are plenty of local breweries out there. The idea of a national brewpub chain succeeding in that scenario seems sketchy, though you never know.

Maybe the closest thing we have to a national pub is exemplified by Buffalo Wild Wings, a craft beer taproom chain with pub-ish food. Buffalo Wild, established in 1982, currently has more than 1,200 locations in the U.S. They don't brew, but they do offer local beers alongside an expansive selection of national macro and craft brands.

For anyone wondering why the Brewers Association would make Buffalo Wild one of two major sponsors for this year's GABF, the answer is clear enough: Buffalo Wild is arguably the closest thing we have to a national craft beer pub chain. For better or for worse.

Buffalo Wild Wings Has High Hopes for Game Changer

Buffalo Wild Wings isn't on my personal list of favorite beer stops. The places have a frenetic character I find mildly distracting. This is largely a generational issue, I think. Many of my younger friends are big fans of these places...more than 900 of them across the country. Shazam!

The Minneapolis-based company recently announced a deal whereby Redhook Brewery (part of the Portland-based Craft Brew Alliance, if you aren't aware) will produce a beer specifically designed for the BWW experience. The beer, which will be officially rolled out next week and is already on tap at some locations, is called Game Changer.

To understand the beer, you must first understand Buffalo Wild Wings. They bill themselves as being about beer, sports and wings. The order depends on the time of day, week and year, I suspect. They nearly always have sports on multiple big screens at BWW. These places are gathering points for sports fans who like to enjoy a beer and some food while viewing a game or games.

Lloyd District BWW

Game Changer is designed to maximize that experience by allowing patrons to drink several pints without losing touch with their faculties. The beer clocks in at 4.6% ABV and is said to be light amber in color. I suspect it doesn't have an elaborate flavor profile, but I'm sure it is an improvement on standard macro sludge. I'll check it out soon and update this post.

By the way, Game Changer is the kind of beer the late Don Younger would love. Don was not a fan of big beers because he wanted patrons to be able to drink more than one pint in his pubs. His Lompoc partner, Jerry Fechter, delights in telling the beer media that Don would hate a particular beer due to its high ABV. I always get a kick out of Jerry's recollections and stories. I digress.

More than 30 tap handles

I can't say what Don Younger thought of Buffalo Wild Wings. He surely appreciated the fact that they offer a decent selection of craft beers. The Lloyd District BWW has more than 30 tap handles and the majority are dedicated to craft brands. These are mostly mainstream beers from established breweries, as opposed to the more eccentric brews you'll find at places that specialize in new-fangled beers.

Buffalo Wild Wings has made a commitment to improving its craft beer selection by increasing the number of taps at most locations. It makes sense given the growth of craft beer. They will put a substantial effort into promoting Game Changer, hoping to up-sell customers who drink light beer. In other words, they are targeting folks who are typically content to sip on Coors Light or Bud Light while they watch games. Not a bad strategy if they can pull it off.

Word is that Game Changer will not be exclusive to Buffalo Wild Wings. It may also find its way into Redhook's other sales channels. Redhook's connection to the Anheuser-Busch distribution network means Game Changer might wind up on store shelves around the country someday. That likely hinges on how successful the beer is with BWW patrons.

Of course, the Anheuser-Busch connection creates a bit of irony. Because AB owns a 32 percent stake in the Craft Brew Alliance (Redhook's parent), the Brewers Association says Redhook is not a craft brewery...which means Game Changer isn't technically a craft beer. This is largely semantics, but still ironic given BWW's effort to expand its craft beer presence.

Update
Game Changer is just what they say it is. I stopped by for a pint the other evening and found it to be a pleasant beer. It's reminiscent of Widmer's Columbia Common ale, which was a seasonal over the winter, though Game Changer definitely has a lower hop profile. This is a great beer for sports fans who want to enjoy a few beers with some flavor while they watch their favorite event at Buffalo Wild Wings. Also a great lunch beer when you need to return to the office intact.

Game Changer in the flesh (glass)

All that said, Game Changer definitely isn't going to satisfy the pallets of folks who are looking for a feisty IPA or meaty red. This is an easy drinking beer you can drink a few of and not have to worry about getting home. It functions well in that role. Redhook did a nice job with this beer. However, discriminating beer fans may want more.