If you frequently frequent craft beer shoppes, you have probably come across the Skyduster brand. You may have wondered, as I did, what is up with it?
Well, Matthew Kang at Eater LA did as well and filed this article HERE. And while it was meant to be a look at this cool start-up piece, it left me un-enamored of restaurants and their beer buying choices. And skeptical of Skyduster too.
For one, they seem to only look for beers that don’t interfere with the food which goes against the accepted theory that a beer should lean into the food flavors or highly contrast them. The second is how many times they say “crushable” which conjures up frat house drinking more than enjoying your food and drink. And boy do restaurants seem to love cold beer which makes me wonder about their palates.
From the brewery side the owners sort of back hand swipe at existing breweries as not hands on which tells me they did not meet or hear about Rich Marcello from Strand Brewing back in the day who would run circles around Skyduster in the meet and greet department.
Lastly, the brand owners seem A-OK with blandness and inoffensiveness. Which may be A-OK with chefs who want beer in the far background not competing with the food but if their plans for a taproom and restaurant come to fruition, they will need to add flavor in for people who are coming in for a beer with friends and want their beer to be the lead.
I have had their IPA which I would not recommend and their Super Dry Lager which was fine but I will wait to try more until they get a little more craft beer serious.