PERCEPTIONS: Corks & Bottle Caps

Ah TRADITION.  In 2011, OLD is Best.  Never mind that iPAD.  With beverages, OLD RULES.  Europe invented Beer and Wine, and after all, they do it best.

Some might disagree.

The Canadians make do VERY good Beer as do many craft American Breweries and the Americans make some top flight wine throuout the West Coast.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE MARKETING PERCEPTIONS OF HOW TO GET TO THAT LIQUID?

The AMERICAN INVENTED THE SCREW TOP for both BEER & WINE.  INVENTION AND CONVENIENCE!   Budweiser and Boons farm were among the earliest crappy perceptions.  But those were for Baby Boomers.  Do Baby Boomers count much now?  Maybe in some places.

Nonetheless, we are at a crossroads again.   INVENTION AND CONVENIENCE are BAD!  Back to perception and Marketing Focus Groups of the STUPID.

I opened a Canadian Molson several nights ago with my hand.  American Premium beer, Sam Adams demands I use the traditional Church Key as does the German Franziskaner.  Sam Adams is trying to keep the PERCEPTION that the screw top is for BAD BEER.  They also said years ago, they would NEVER make a lite beer.  They do now.  Make no mistake, I enjoy their product.  However, there is a marketing principle that says in some circles, old is better.

Wine corks are as old as wine.  Current methods of wine cork production ensure that only 10% of wine is bad because of poor corks.  But that is still a lot of bad wine we all have to pay for via bad bottle returns.  Synthetic corks are about 100% effective and screw tops on expensive wine are comparable.   Plump Jack Cabs from CA now goes for over $100 a bottle and have screw tops.  I have not had one recently.

I look forward to the day of Screw top ales from Belgium and the same from Bordeaux.
JA