The Ascent of IPA

Week after week, we sell more Vigilante IPA than any other beer at Bridger Brewing Co. In the microbrewery world, IPA's are king. Bozeman Brewing Co. has Hopzone, Madison River has Hop Juice, Outlaw has their Passive Aggressive Pale Ale (P.A.P.A.), and national breweries are coming out with new and exciting extra pale ales, double IPA's, and experimental IPA's. According to Dan Conley, of Community Beer Works in Buffalo, NY, the popularity of IPA's is because, "they taste good, they're advanced, they have lots of flavor, and science!" Thinking about consumer behavior however, makes me wonder if the ascent of IPA is due to popularity, hype, and irrational fallacies. In any case, "Homer" sure does enjoy a pint of Deschute's Fresh Squeezed IPA and doesn't much care if it's rational or not.

Come Here Often?

So I work at The Crystal Bar and Bridger Brewing Co. I know gaggles of regulars-their names, preferences, place of work, significant others, and what they ate for dinner last night. One thing can be said for nearly all regulars: they're consistent with what they eat and drink. Consumers become overwhelmed with too many choices and default to what they already know, or in this case, what the bartender already knows about them. In a bar full of thousands of possibilities, why do we sell more PBR and well whiskey than anything else, when both options are relatively mediocre? In a restaurant with hundreds of pizza combinations, why do we sell more pepperoni and meat-lovers' pizza than any other style? When in doubt, we stick with what we know.

The Long Branch Saloon is For Sale, Ennis, MT

The Long Branch Saloon has been open since 1931 and is the archetypal Montana bar. If you happen to befriend the regulars, you may find yourself with a free drink chip in the form of a piece of antler bone and a story or two to take home. Willie's Distillery is also just a stone's throw down the street and the Honey Moonshine is worth the walk. However, with the fly-fishing and tourist seasons being so extreme compared to the off-season in Ennis, MT, the Long Branch Saloon is for sale because the mortgage is leeching the current owner's retirement. Liquor licenses in Montana are commodities, typically going for $500,000-$1,000,000, though we have more liquor licenses per capita than any other state in America, save North Dakota. This seems to exemplify the fallacy of supply and demand: giving a product or service a price based on a value or anchor that doesn't actually exist. There is legislation in place to make liquor licenses more accessible, but the Montana Tavern Association (MTA) won't have it. Members argue that increasing the number of liquor licenses in Montana and making them more accessible for new business owners essentially de-values the licenses that they've already purchased, in addition to their concern about competition. I see their point, but I also support new businesses and buying a Montana liquor license without a seven-figure bank account seems impossible. What's the answer here?

10 Friends You'll Make At The Crystal Bar

Do you want to know who you could be sharing a can of Olympia and a shot of Beam with at 11:00 on a Tuesday? Or who you'd be fighting for 30 vodka-crans during power hour on a friday? Let me tell you.

1. That One Homeless Guy

What he drinks: Coors Original and well whiskey on the rocks

2. Your Divorced Grandpa

What he drinks: Bud light and Blackberry Brandy

3. Crazy Christine

What she drinks: Jameson with a side of strange

4. Your weird uncle with the pony tail

What he drinks: Rainier bottles and Pendleton

5. 21st Birthday Parties

What they drink: "whatever's free" and/or "something good, strong, and cheap" (as if those aren't mutually exclusive).

6. Dirtbags

What they drink: IPA draft

7. The back of the house staff from your favorite restaurant 

What they drink: PBR. ALL of  the PBR.

8. College crowd 

What they drink: 30 rum and cokes and 15 shots of liquid cocaine

9. The owner

What he drinks: ketel one and soda

10. Bar employees

 What they drink: everything.

Freedom Isn't Free

In Dan Ariely's Predictably Irrational, he analyzes consumer behavior in regard to services and products that have "zero cost" and/or are "free." Consumers are more likely to choose a "free" option, without considering the downside, such as the value of their time, the possible wear-and-tear on their bodies, vehicle, etc., or the consumption of other resources like water, gasoline, or supplementary and/or complementary goods.

The boiling river outside of Gardiner, MT is spectacular. The drive is beautiful and Yellowstone National Park is a mecca for wilderness and wildlife. I've been closer to Elk and Bison in this location than any other in Montana. If you go to the boiling river in the winter, you typically don't have to pay the fee to get into Yellowstone National Park, so it is essentially a "free" trip to The Park. Of course, that doesn't take into account the gas, the loss of valuable time, the wear on the vehicle, or the various beverages involved. However, there is added value unaccounted for in the lack of crowds and tourists. Paradise Valley should always be traveled often, especially in the winter.