Bill Covaleski, the co-founder of Downingtown-based Victory Brewing, emphasized the importance of taprooms for the future of craft beer at the seventh annual Meeting of the Malts in Bethlehem, writes Brian Pedersen for Lehigh Valley Business.

The event, hosted by The Brewers of Pennsylvania, celebrates achievements in the industry and explores the latest trends and challenges.

Covaleski participated in a panel that looked at the future of beer and examined what may be a hard decade for the industry.

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“I think beer is in for a very, very hard road, a decade of decline,” said Bump Williams, president of BWC Consulting. He said that the industry faces a number of threats, including the rise of cannabis and wine.

Some of the panelists agreed, but also said that brewers need to keep focusing on connecting with the customer. Covaleski said that a good way to do this is to have a taproom, something Victory has had from the beginning.

“Because we have very good access to our public through taprooms, we can test ideas and get responses to those ideas,” said Covaleski.

Read more about the future of craft beer in Lehigh Valley Business here.

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