American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
(Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Chicago)
The beer biz never sleeps at American Craft Beer. And here’s just some of what’s been happening while you were drinking your way through the weekend.
New Guinness Brewery Debuts In Chicago
There had been rumors that Guinness was looking to open a new hub in the Midwest, and on September 22, 2021 the Diageo-owned brewer confirmed that they would be opening a taproom in a former rail depot near Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood.
They also announced that it would open in time for St Patrick’s Day but that date was bumped to later in 2023.
And on September 28 the highly anticipated Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Chicago finally opened.
Located in the long-vacated Pennsylvania Railroad Depot, north of Randolph Restaurant Row and west of Halsted, the Guinness taproom, restaurant, and bakery occupies a 15,000 space with a 10-barrel system that will produce beers only available at its Chicago location. The uber-hip venue can accommodate room for 300+ beer lovers including outdoor seating
But while the new site will produce a variety of experimental brews, the iconic Guinness Draught Stout and other Guinness beers will continue to be imported from our legendary brewery at St James’s Gate in Dublin, Ireland.
Words to Drink By
“Change is inevitable, and either you change or you die, you become irrelevant.” – Bob Lefsetz, Music industry writer and media analyst
Fewer Breweries Opening in 2023
Boulder, Colorado-based trade organization, the Brewers Association has reported that 549 new breweries opened in the United States this year and 319 closed. This is the second year that the number of newcomers has decreased, another sign of a maturing craft beer industry, according to the national not-for-profit.
Bart Watson: Photo © Brewers Association
“The business is changing rapidly,” said Bart Watson, Brewers Association economist. “What we’re seeing is a maturing market. It’s very competitive out there.”
“The craft beer industry is still a long way from collapse, it’s just not going to grow like it has over the past decade, Watson added.
“The industry is now more like a normal business with ebbs and flows and openings and closings.”
“Craft brewers will need to reinvent themselves to stay fresh.”
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