Significant Craft Beer Growth Likely To Continue

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By Shannon Maria Jones

Independent craft brewer’s sales, including those of Downingtown-based Victory Brewing Co., continue to see growth according to the 2014 mid-year report of the Brewers Association.

From January through the end of June this year, approximately 10.6 million barrels of beer were sold by craft brewers, up 18 percent since 2013. Breweries operating in the United States also rose 20 percent from last year, now totaling 3,040.

8.7.2014 Tasting BeerFor comparison, according to Randy Mosher, one of the leading authorities on craft beer and author of Tasting Beer, in 1873 when the local brewer was the center of the town, there were 4,131, though the introduction of Prohibition in 1920 quickly reduced that number, ultimately plummeting to a mere 80 by 1983.

“More and more, people are enjoying the products from America’s small and independent brewers, making this country a true destination for beer,” Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association, said in a statement.

And it looks like Philadelphia is a big part of the craft beer movement, specifically on the East Coast. According to Mosher, in the early 1990’s, craft beer was growing at 45% per year, but now growth has settled into 10-15%.

Most significantly, craft beer now holds about 6% of the beer market in the US (by dollars) and employ more than 110,000 full- and part-time workers, many of which are manufacturing jobs, according to the Brewers Association.

Since 2007, craft beer has been steadily climbing in popularity among Philadelphians, according to data trends from Yelp. “Many factors are driving the long, accelerating growth trend of craft beer, but I’d place America’s new-found taste for foods of flavor and integrity as the underlying foundation to this renaissance of artisanal brewing,” said Bill Covaleski, co-founder of Victory Brewing Co. in a Philadelphia Business Journal article last week.

“In the last 25 years, we have witnessed American consumers gravitating to higher quality food selections, and craft beer should be looked at as a food, as it offers fuller, intriguing flavors and offers real values in terms of quality and production integrity.”

“The bottom line is that these are expressive, creative endeavors that captivate the hearts and minds of their founders as strongly as they do the local communities they serve.”

“Craft breweries truly represent local and regional interests, supporting the communities they serve with good employment options and community stewardship,” Covaleski said. “We brewers and our fans are optimists who collaborate and strive for outcomes beyond the suffocating objectives that drive large corporations.”

The Brewers Association represents more than 70 percent of the brewing industry. Local breweries Yards Brewing Co. based in Philadelphia and Victory Brewing Co. based in Downingtown are both members of the association.

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Shannon JonesShannon Maria Jones is co-founder of Dashing Rogue, LLC, “bringing back the dinner party” by providing customizable beer pairing dinners in your home. She hosts the weekly podcast, “Beer Mistress’s Microbrew Review” available on iTunes. Visit www.BeerMistress.com for her beer reviews, pairing tips, and recipes.

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