I don't think blog writers have a disproportionately large influence on beer consumption, the kind of person reading this and countless other beer blogs is probably a fairly informed consumer. I think that ratings aggregator websites like ratebeer.com or beeradvocate.com can have a profound impact, increasing the hype and demand for a beer, especially the small-run limited editions. These websites draw tens or hundreds of thousands of people, so they can really affect how people think.

I agree with the above. Fortunately, there is no Robert Parker among beer writers and there are many different voices out there. I don't think a good or bad review of a beer from any of us can have any serious effect on the business of the brewery

We have some influence to the extent that we have interaction with brewers, distributors, importers and restaurant managers. I'm sure the craft beer scene in Norway would have developed without my blog, but it seems to have had some impact.
I really wanted to be influncing things around here, I should be blogging in Norwegian. But I prefer being a part of a global brotherhood of beer bloggers, so you're stuck with me.

As someone who is actually pig-headed enough to do it for love AND money, I like to believe that I exert some influence. Not from my blogs, I think, so much as via my old-fashioned on-paper ramblings, the kind of things read by people who might see a mention of a particular beer in, say, a food or wine or lifestyle magazine and think to themselves, "Hey, I should try that some time."

I also have a few gigs writing directly for the North American hospitality industry that I believe influence restaurateurs and bar owners at least to some degree.

I agree with Stephen (except that we are not paid - we just pour money down a drain). We do it all for the love, but like to think that we have some bearing on what both the pro and casual beer drinker do with their beer experience.

If we can prevent you from wasting one hour of your day by checking out a horrid pub and save you $12.00 from buying that gross new release - all at the same time as making sure that you dont miss that new offering at your local beer shop, that amazing bartender at the Paters Vaejte in Antwerp or the best things you should do on your Tuesday - i think there is some solace in that for all readers.

The reader does not have to believe your opinions, but generally beer reviewers (exception of Tim Webb) are kind and overly accepting. So you typically weed out just the generally accepted bad, and hopefully get good news and reporting. The influence need only be minimal to be important. We are both beer writers and beer consumers - even the bloggers benefit from the writings of other bloggers.

I think bloggers have influence with the discerning consumer. after all that is why they are reading. But I am still of the opinion a good beer will produce it's own followers. Bad beer on the other hand is all about the marketing :)

I think Mr. Beaumont's comment are not what I had thought of in terms of influence but they are excellent examples. I do feel that I have a good influence on people seeking out beer information including recommendations based on my reviews. I have done a tiny amount of beer industry discussion and it is the blog that gets me through the door.

Like Stephen, Pete Brown has more direct contacts than though his blog yet also over at Stan's speaks of how the medium of the blog does instigate ideas in industry.

So maybe there is a degree of quite due influence if we think of the influence as micro, incremental.

I don't think I influence what others drink in the slightest. Then again, I don't really review beers.

In terms of beer history and beer styles, I can see that what I've written has had a little effect. Some of my arguments are repeated every now and again on discussion sites. Though any influence is only amongst the tiny number who find this historical stuff interesting. Which is a tiny subset of the tiny subset of the population who are beer geeks.

I think it depends on what is meant by 'influence'. If it is taken as direct influence on increasing beer sales then probably not.

However, in terms of influence within the beer community I definitely think so. It makes us all see/learn different points of views, understand what others are doing on the other side of the world etc. This then often leads to others to try new things and experiment and placing new ideas and products on the market.... which I guess sometimes makes it to the mass market.

So indirectly I think that blogs etc do have an influence as it needs a small group of people to start the discussion and then bring it to the masses. The catch 22 though is that not every 'discussion' will be a raging success.

Cheers

Geoff

Beer Cartel

I think no, when i am searching online, there is limited blogs and articles can find for beer related articles and all are not influencial, but we need some general information for awareness. It is up to you to decide whether it is selling or just hobby or anything. but beer is not the thing that hate people, it is lovely and we should have a self control over using it, for writers have good responsibility to write moderatly and explain both pros and cons as moderative view