American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
Yikes, December already? 2016 is nearly over and the craft beer biz still not slowing down anytime soon. But no worries, Rumor Mill is always on the case, keeping you plugged in into all the beer news and lifestyle that matters. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately and you don’t want to miss that!
A Big Year For Small Beer (Boulder, CO) -The Brewers Association just issued their 2016 Year In Review and here are some of the highlights.
More Breweries Than Ever Before – Just like today’s stock market highs, there’s a record-breaking number of breweries now online in America. 5005 breweries according to the BA’s last count and 99% of those are designated as small and independent craft breweries.
Mid-Year Brewery Growth was 8% – still a healthy number that we continue to watch.
IPA’s Continue To Rule – Although many professional brewers have told us their tired of IPA’s, the public clearly isn’t…The India Pale Ale commanded 25% of the marketplace in 2016.
Sessionable Styles Grew Last Year – Lower octane beer styles such Golden Ales, Pilsners and Pale Lagers, were up 33 percent this year and are now totaling nearly five percent of the craft beers produced.
Craft Beer Exports Up 16.3% In 2016 – Demand for American craft beer continues its growth abroad with more than 100 small and independent craft brewers now exporting their beer internationally.
Words To Drink By (Los Angeles, CA) – “If you’re not learning every day, you’re dying on the vine, you’re taking yourself out of the game.” Bob Lefsetz, Writer and Music Industry Analyst
The Long Root To Success (Portland, OR) – Brewbound has selected Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) as the recipient receive the Marketing Initiative of the Year award for their work with Patagonia Provisions on Long Root Ale. This award was given to HUB during Brewbound’s Winter Session to acknowledge a campaign that “transcends traditional craft beer marketing.”
Hub Long Root Ale (which was first released last October throughout Oregon, Washington and California) was brewed using Kernza wheatgrass developed by The Land Institute in partnership with Patagonia Provisions.
Ecologically sound and beneficial Kernza’s long roots (hence the ale’s name) and growth pattern allow it to thrive without pesticide. Kernza uses less water than most conventional wheat, helps reduce erosion and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than annual grains – all good things.
What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Santa Monica, CA) – House Beer is a Los Angeles-based company that brews one and one beer only that they hope you’ll embrace as your ‘house beer.” Introduced as both a homage and an alternative to most of the traditional American lagers that we all grew up with, House Beer is a delicious 4.8% ABV CRAFT LAGER that reminds us how welcome this kind of drinking can be.
