Craft Brewery Explosion (no, a brewery didn't explode)

[Lennie]

I personally think there might be too many choices on the shelf these days. I wish more places would focus on local sales, or at least stick to a state like New Glarus does. I don't see how any of these breweries make money with so much competition for a fairly small percentage of the market.

 

[rifraf]

I just wish I could go to a nicer beer bar and get something besides IPAs and stouts. Bar nearby with 40+ beers on tap but literally 25 are just IPA and stouts. Tack on the requisite BMCs and there really isn't much of a style option.

 

[TheCatman]

Lately, I've only been drinking my own or buying local, with the exception of Deschutes.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Wow Just went to the AB website, they must be on a quest to acquire the beer market in total! Shock Top, Kirin, Beck's, Landshark, Stella Artois, Goose Island, Bass, Lowenbrau, Rolling Rock. I'm afraid to check Miller, and Coors. I guess if you can buy the competition, there is none. What's next, BMC Inc.?

It's amazing. The big two either own or have distribution deals with many of the brands out there.

 

[cyclogenesis]

Yep.. I try to keep it local.. Great thing is my local store has tastings on a theme each Friday so I get to try before I buy...

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Yep.. I try to keep it local.. Great thing is my local store has tastings on a theme each Friday so I get to try before I buy...

Local's great, I drink a ton of local and regional beer. But there's so many amazing beers from everywhere that I try not to focus on one thing. I, for one, am glad AB-InBev has the distribution deals they do. Not that they're the reason we get so many great imports, but they're the ones getting many of them here. Without that and smaller guys like Merchant du Vin, we wouldn't get the amazing selection of beer from around the world that we do.