Alexander Keith's story

Once upon a time, every case of Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale consumed outside of Nova Scotia boldly proclaimed “Brewed only in Nova Scotia. Since 1820”. Where the beer was brewed – or, perhaps just as importantly, where it wasn’t brewed – was an absolutely key part of the story.

The notion of this India Pale Ale that’s so steeped in tradition…. brewed in this rather idyllic (and old by cdn standards) seaside place…. was able to command a premium positioning and price. Keith’s IPA allowed its drinkers to tell themselves (and, more importantly, others) a story about a taste for quality and tradition… about a certain honesty and respect for how ale should be brewed. You get the picture.

This week Labatt, brewer of Alexander Keith’s and subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, announced they are going to start brewing Alexander Keith’s renowned IPA in British Columbia. Metronews.ca reported Labatt’s marketing VP Richard Musson explaining the move with:

“As we looked forward five years we’d see the brand getting bigger and bigger and bigger. And you start to say, 'well does it make sense to transport beer from one side of the continent to the other?'”.

Now, suddenly, where the beer is brewed is no longer a key part of the story. It doesn’t matter. We’ve moved on, etc. The article continues with:

“Everyone always knows Guinness is Irish, although a lot of it doesn’t actually come from Ireland,” Musson said. “We’re never going to take the Nova Scotia out of Keith’s. Without Nova Scotia this brand wouldn’t be so successful.”

Right. I mentioned earlier the story Keith’s drinkers tell themselves, and now we know the story Keith’s brewers tell themselves.

When most all mass-produced beer in Canada tastes more or less the same, the story is all you’ve got. It’s all marketing. Every bit of it. And now a critical element in the story is no longer true. Oh well.

The slope towards mediocrity is a slippery one. As Seth said a few years back, “Once you start compromising, when do you stop?”

Time will tell how this plays out for them. There are a lot of variables, naturally. All I know is that, were I Labatt, I wouldn’t have been so quick to give up that part of the story.

Comments

[Joel Kelly]

Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see if this actually does them any damage. And if it doesn't, what does that say about the people that drink it?

[Frank Ricketts]

Good post Carman. It's what happens when a company becomes obsessed with distribution and forgets about quality/tradition and heritage. Welcome to mediocrity Mr. Keith.

[Darrin Searancke]

Really good point Carman - didn't think about it that way until I read you post. But, I wonder - if this is just a case of cost cutting, then will the loyal Keith's consumer even care about it, because they just like the taste/brand of the beer? I do think that Keith's is a relatively "young" brand compared to Guinness, so ultimately this is all a marketing spin - to make consumers feel okay about it. Hopefully "Those who currently like it, won't mind where it's made"? But what about future customers/consumers?

[Clare]

In the long run, it's not going to matter where it's brewed, because it's going to essentially taste the same. If they didn't make sure that it tasted the same as here in Halifax, then they wouldn't bother wasting millions of dollars trying to brew it somewhere else. It's just part of trying to satisfy a demand.

[ed]

I am looking for a flag or cloth banner of the Alexander Keiths Beer for a college dorm room. If you have any information where I can buy one i would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Ed