The devil is rampant behind the scenes

So many local breweries that offer good beers... and yet, often industrial piss under pressure in bars... But why, for heaven's sake?

Don't consumers appreciate good beers? Or is there another explanation?

A matter of price perhaps? Contrary to popular belief, no! Beers from the supermarket sector are sold at the same or even more expensive prices than the so-called thirsty beers from traditional and local breweries, such as BFM's Blonde des Franches, WhiteFrontier's Petite, Nebula's Zepp' or Dr. Gabs' Swaf.

A habit rooted in bistros and a reluctance to revolutionize a "tradition"? or perhaps the fear that distribution will no longer be complicated? Or that the quality of the less smoothed beers is not constant? We are not in the minds of the tenants and therefore we cannot completely exclude these hypotheses. But what is certain is that there is another explanation.

The beer cartel is still going strong. It is no longer supposed to exist, but certain logics persist and large groups are holding out the promise of finery that could tempt even the most incorruptible. By offering to contribute to the cost of equipment and investment for the establishment's facilities, which often amount to tens of thousands of francs, some bistro operators give in to the sirens when they are installed, lured by a lack of cash flow and the feeling that the deal is advantageous. But the devil hides in the details... the pact is not insignificant and the Faust trapped find themselves bound, forced to restrict their offer to the beer offered by their usurers, at prices that are not necessarily advantageous (yes, nothing is free and the departure gift is not one..... sponsorship is not part of the habits of the industry's industrialists)...... in civilized terms, this is called an exclusivity contract, minimum sales quotas per year, etc... Most contracts written by the evil side are similar. Signed in haste when these poor buggers created a new establishment, they are filled with small lines written in character 2 by an armada of good little soldiers and contain a series of clauses that will prevent the unfortunate from loosening his chains, which will restrain him for an eternity. Even when he is supposed to be able to break them, at the end of the initial contractual term, he still finds himself entangled and discovers how a well written contract is not a gift (...think of your mobile phone contracts).

So if you ever wonder why you find yourself drinking characterless beer in your local bistro, you may think it's not just because of the lack of taste or imagination of its owner.

Fortunately, more and more people are realizing that these quasi-mafic practices, which are still well institutionalized, are harming crafts and our local economies, and it is to be hoped that the trend towards a return to real value creation that benefits more than a handful will continue to strengthen. #social and solidarity economy #craft #powertothepeople