Since Easter and April Fool’s Day coincided on Sunday this year, we really didn’t get to post any prank press releases. Unfazed, Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing still sent something cheeky over the weekend, so here goes. Monday Night Brewing has announced an upcoming line of beer clones in an attempt to replicate the success of other craft beer pioneers. The meteoric rise in the number of craft breweries in recent years has also increased the level of innovation and competition, making it harder and harder to stand out.
Head Brewer Peter Kiley talked about Monday Night’s product development process. “It’s 2018. There are a lot of great beers out there. I mean, all the good ideas have already been taken.”
Kiley said to look out for lighter clones like 421 Extra Pale Ale and Flat Tire to be on shelves soon.
Replicating IPAs has proven to be more challenging. “They must be using a lot of hops or something. I don’t really get it,” said CEO Jeff Heck. They have been tinkering with recipes for Pliny the Middle Child and Three Hearted, though Heck expects those beers to take a few more months of development.
Copying recipes from myriad of other breweries is no small feat. Monday Night has been peeking through the windows, quite literally, of some their favorite breweries, trying to get a glimpse of their recipes. Cofounder and CMO Jonathan Baker explained, “Yeah, I’ll spend a couple days outside some random brewery in a lawn chair with binoculars and a cooler. I figure sooner or later they’ll slip up and leave a recipe on a computer screen or something.” As of the writing of this release, Baker’s efforts thus far have been in vain.
Kiley is particularly excited about Very Tan Lord, an imperial stout clone which he plans on releasing once a year at the brewery. “People are going to be waiting in line for this beer, even if I have to start the line myself. And if we have three people in line, I am only going to release two bottles. I really want that perceived scarcity with Very Tan Lord. Hopefully a fight will break out.”
If successful, Monday Night Brewing will add other imperial stout releases, including Mexican Pastry and Hunapoo.
CEO Jeff Heck said that clones open up a whole new market for Monday Night. The brewery plans on replicating international beers as well, with releases like Cantiyawn and Chimaybe. When pressed for a comment, Heck put it bluntly, “I’m not as interested in exploring what beer can be and how we can leave our mark on the industry. I’m interested in getting rich with as little work as possible.”
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