CRAFT BEER FUTURE
OUT & ABOUT | column
TAPPING INTO THE 2020s:
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Looking forward to a new decade of BC craft beer >> SCOTTIE MCLELLAN
he Globe and Mail’s Report On Business section for Saturday, January 25th ran an in-depth story on the Canadian craft beer industry. It was entitled TROUBLE BREWING, with this subtext:
New craft breweries are opening at an unprecedented rate. But these upstarts face a crammed market, falling consumption and competition from multinational players. Is the industry headed for a spill?
The gist of the piece was an overview of how craft breweries keep opening nationwide, and how the market is going to handle the effects of this. It is worth reading. People ask me all the time: how can breweries possibly keep creating new tastes in beer? At some point, won’t the scene get saturated and flatten out? This doesn’t seem to be happening yet—rather the opposite, with more and more brewers coming on stream everywhere.
The Globe and Mail’s Report On Business, Saturday, January 25th
Another question that gets tossed around is, “Isn’t it true that lots of people want to open a brewery to make a quick buck during these popular times of craft beer?”
After three decades of being part of this beer movement, I must say I feel satisfied to have had a voice in our small part of the scene. I am overjoyed and excited about the bright future of craft beer in BC.
The answer is that most people don’t do it to get rich. Craft brewers opening new establishments do their due diligence. They see a future and are driven by it. People who have a passion for beer usually have the drive to open their own business and showcase their company’s flair and style in brewing. Sometimes certain styles are in favour and it seems like every brewery is making one. And why not? If this is what’s being demanded, craft brewers will answer their customers’ needs. Breweries have been creative in product and package design, and this gives the consumer a big buzz of anticipation. Everything seems fluid in the beer business and consumers just love it. The more new energy and growth in the business, the more consumers will get to revel in choice. I’ve been in the movement since the beginning, and what worked then still works now: local breweries and brewpubs supported by their neighbourhood customers. Fresh local beer supported by local communities is the winning formula, as evidenced by new openings provincewide. If the enthusiasm of the current brewing scene is any guide, we have a long bright future for good beer in our province. What’s Brewing has come along on this journey, supporting everything happening in the beer movement from the beginning. We have written about the future of good beer, promoting good things related to beer including where to buy it, where to enjoy it, and who makes, sells, and serves it. We are always grateful for the many new additions to the craft brewing community, and we wish the best to everyone in this exciting industry and movement. Scottie McLellan is a craft beer industry veteran and longtime supporter of BC’s Craft Beer Movement. He has written for What's Brewing for three decades.
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