Comments on: Have a craft beer and support the Watson Children’s Shelter

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:41:04 +0000

Oh, I don’t doubt this at all, and I’m sure the case is the same over on this side of the pond. I would still contend that most middle-class abusers are abusing something other than craft beer, though I’m guessing that some craft-beer abuse does occur. I would love to see a study on that. The reason I think they’re drinking something else is that it’s much easier to consume several bottles of sweeter white wine than several pints of dark, strong beer. Sure, some craft beers are lighter than others, but even an American-style hefeweizen is going to be far heavier and contain more calories than a glass of white wine. Again, I’m not trying to say that craft beer has some sort of immunity in all this, just that the idea of craft beer being artisanal and not quite as easily accessible as other forms of alcohol. I guess the bottom line here is that I’m an advocate for responsible drinking habits, education about craft beer and perceptions about alcohol in this country. As I’ve said before, I think craft breweries, and especially Montana’s tap rooms, are great places for families to hang out and enjoy a beverage. My daughter and I routinely go to one of the tap rooms, she to enjoy a root beer and I another kind of beer. She won’t have the same preconceived ideas about bars and alcohol that I grew up with, and hopefully she’ll have a happy, healthy life in which alcohol can be enjoyed in balance.

Cheers,

Tim

By: Josh Quick

Josh Quick — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:32:28 +0000

Interesting info about social drinking and class. This in regards to “The price point of craft beer and craft distilled liquors make those difficult for chronic abusers to afford.” in your 2nd comment http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1566292/Middle-class-are-biggest-abusers-of-alcohol.html Grant it, the study was done in Brittain, unfortunately not in the US – just for the sake of discussion. Thanks for continuing this forum.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:26:34 +0000

I’m sure there are tax incentives, and you could easily say they do it for the purpose of bringing new customers in. Whatever the motivations are, it’s generally good for the community. Missoula has more nonprofits than just about anywhere else, and the smaller voices often get left out. Because of networking with brewers and brewery owners, some of those voiceless nonprofits actually get their message out to people who might be able to make a difference.

By: Josh Quick

Josh Quick — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:01:20 +0000

Are their tax incentives for breweries to support non-profits?

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:57:42 +0000

Beer is a conversation my friend. You make a good point, but I think that despite the fact that alcohol plays a key factor in the displacement of children from homes, educating people about beer and responsible drinking is an important factor in how a community handles the costs of alcohol abuse. The homebrewer’s association actually picks the charity in this case, but the fact that an event like his can give so much back to the community is educational and cuts down on the costs of alcohol abuse in a community. Look at what Kettlehouse and now Blackfoot River Brewing Company are doing for nonprofits and charities with their pint nights. It’s all educational, and education builds a much better society. Alcohol has been around since the beginning of time and likely will play some role in our lives as long as we last on this mortal coil, but it’s what you do with what you’ve got that matters. You didn’t say anything about prohibition, but the kind of thinking behind the temperance movement, which predated prohibition, was one that blamed alcohol across the spectrum for all social ills. The kind of stigma that lasts from that way of thinking still poisons a lot of our feelings about alcohol in general and makes us unable to communicate about better ways to solve problems like alcohol abuse. Poverty is another major contributor to the displacement of children from their homes. Yet it’s very difficult to say what kind of poverty directly leads to displacement. Instead, there are charities, like Watson’s and others that seek to both serve and combat the need. You’ll often notice that large breweries are forced into charitable donations when caught marketing to minors or directly contributing to delinquency. The same with tobacco manufacturers. I guess I’m really stoked to see craft breweries doing this when they don’t necessarily have to. It shows the truest connection between a community and its food and beverage.

Tim

By: Josh Quick

Josh Quick — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:37:59 +0000

Just having a friendly conversation here, Tim. I didn’t bring up prohibition, nor do I think Big Sky is the major contributor to alcohol abuse in Montana. I am pointing that a Montana brewery makes a beverage that contains alcohol. Alcohol, when abused is a major contributor to the displacement of children from their homes in Montana http://www.gannett.com/go/difference/greatfalls/pages/part11/hidden.html & the Montana Brewery raised money for a place that provides shelter for displaced children.

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:26:41 +0000

The better question would be “Shoot me some data on how craft beer is likely to contribute to alcohol abuse in a community.” The truth is quantifying the specific amount of craft beer implicated in alcohol abuse is impossible. Data just doesn’t exist. Most researchers characterize alcohol into three groups, beer, wine and spirits. But having worked with several organizations that work with co occurring disorders, I’ve seen enough ground-level evidence to tell you that the country’s worst alcohol abusers are not drinking craft beer as their number one choice. Two factors I already told you about. It’s too expensive and often too heavy. In Montana, it’s too inaccessible, in that craft breweries are only open certain hours of the day. Another fact is that alcoholism is fairly widely spread around the state, with pockets that are higher in certain places like reservations. Only one Montana brewery is located on a reservation that I know of.

Let’s get this clear. I’m not saying there is no alcoholism and abuse among craft beer drinkers, but craft beer’s role in community alcohol abuse must surely be small if any. In a town like Missoula, it would be easy to make the mistake that the number of college kids enjoying three pints of beer on a Friday night means that somehow that’s the primary source of alcohol in their binge-drinking lives. It certainly a factor in community consumption, but bars and liquor stores sell way more liquor, beer and wine than the craft breweries sell around here.

Anyway, nothing scientific here. I continue to search for any evidence that links craft beer to rampant abuse in a community.

Here’s some old numbers, but it really doesn’t paint a good picture other than to say beer is a key player. But which beer? More likely to be Bud, Coors or some malt liquor, as the price point on craft beer is way too high.

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/30-38.htm

Tim

By: Josh Quick

Josh Quick — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:47:34 +0000

Shoot me some data on how craft beer is less likely to contribute to alcohol abuse in a community.

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:32:07 +0000

It is an interesting article. Unfortunately, it’s easy to lump all alcohol into one category. However, cheap beer, wine and liquor contributes far more to these costs than products like craft beer. And in this case, craft beer actually is cutting into that cost by raising money for prevention and care. The price point of craft beer and craft distilled liquors make those difficult for chronic abusers to afford. Too many people make the mistake of thinking that alcohol, in general, is the problem, while it actually is more likely it’s just a symptom, as in co-occurring disorders. Prohibition got its start with this kind of thinking.

Tim

By: Josh Quick

Josh Quick — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:44:58 +0000

http://www.gannett.com/go/difference/greatfalls/pages/part11/hidden.html – Interesting article on the costs alcohol abuse contributes to displacement of children from their homes.