A Scottish brewery named BrewDog let people on Twitter and Facebook decide not only the name of its product, but also some of the ingredients.
It’s needless to say that the idea is brilliant, but I’m not sure what exactly determined the company to take this decision. One of the options is that the Scottish brewers ran out of ideas for innovating their alcoholic beverage. The other option, which is somehow reflected in the BrewDog’s stance, is that the brewery wanted people to get actively involved in creating a unique product. The #Mashtag democratic brown beer is the result of more than typical feedback. In fact, I think it’s definite proof that social media can change things for the better. Well, the Arab Spring would be another example, but I encourage you to always look on the bright side of life.
On the BrewDog blog, brewery representatives stated: “Inspired by the passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm of craft beer drinkers, we set out to create a truly democratic craft beer. We entrusted all the important decisions to our fans, customers, and anyone who wanted to learn more about the craft brewing process and cast their vote.”
Apparently, there were three possible names for the social media beer, but eventually #MashTag got the most votes, in the detriment of CrewDog and Crowd Control.
The type of the beer was also left to the people to decide. In the end, the crowd decided that #MashTag should be an American Brown Ale instead of an Imperial or Session Brown Ale. Moreover, to make sure that everything is on a democratic course, the brewery allowed the masses to pick the ingredients.
As a result, the #MashTag beer includes New Zealand hops, and was aged on hazelnuts and oak chips. The description alone makes my mouth water, and as I can’t teleport to Scotland, I can only hope it will still be available when and if I’ll get there. If you happen to be in Scotland, have one for me while listening to Fish, the former vocalist/songwriter of Marillion and an extraordinary Scottish singer all round.
Its 7.5% ABV surely makes it rather strong, so make sure that you drink in moderation and whatever you do, don’t drink and drive!
I wonder if other companies would be as happy to let the people decide what should be used in their products. In general, they are getting feedback after making and marketing their devices, so BrewDog’s approach is certainly unusual.
If you liked this post, please check the anti-texting glass and KegDroid, the XOOM/Arduino beer dispenser.
