Thumbs Down – Seasonal Beer Creep

Last night I had a few friends over to have a few beers and one of my buddies brought over a twelve pack of Harpoon Winter Warmer.  While it’s a great beer, it’s not winter yet!  Halloween was last weekend – it’s definitely still autumn.  We should still be enjoying our  pumpkin ales and other fall seasonals until Thanksgiving.  The official start of winter is about two months away!

Gregg Easterbrook, the author of Tuesday Morning Quarterback at ESPN, often writes about “Christmas Creep,” where people start advertising holiday specials, or selling holiday products way too far in advance (For example: Harrod’s in London selling Christmas teddy bears in late August).  The Christmas celebration seems to creep earlier and earlier every year.  

The same thing happens with seasonal beers, and it drives me crazy.  Last winter, I was home in Milwaukee for winter break, and right after the new year, Leinenkugel’s put up a billboard advertising their spring seasonal 1888 Bock.  In January, I’m still looking to drink their winter seasonal, Fireside Nut Brown because it’s still winter!

I understand why the breweries do it.  They want to sell as much of the seasonal beer as possible, and people are much more likely to buy a seasonal beer before the season really hits, than afterwards. However, seasonal beer creep still gets a thumbs down from me, because it takes the fun out of seasonal beer.  I want to buy a fresh six pack of Winter Lager when it’s winter, not while it’s still fall.

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