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Craft Beer Near Me

Craft Beer Near Me

Although entire craft beer increase has slowed considerably, creation for America’s small and independent craft brewers was up eight percent through the first six months of 2016, based on a new report from the Brewers Association. People Are now no longer asking “Where is Craft Beer Near Me?”. They are asking “Where can I find the Best Craft Beer Near Me?”

In 2014, meanwhile, BA-defined 18 percent had grown through the first six months of the year.

While the craft brewing industry is entering a period of maturation, most markets are not near saturation,” Bart Watson, the group’s chief economist said via a press release. As with any industry, it becomes more challenging for it to grow at the same percent rate, “As craft’s base gets larger. Yet there is still fantastic dynamism revealed in eight percent increase for craft.”

It’s a familiar refrain from Watson, who for months has been hinting at a craft beer slowdown.

“As the industry develops and moves into the mainstream, slower development is a very natural part of that maturation,” Watson told Brewbound in March, adding that slower segment-wide growth in 2015 was largely caused by poor sales from craft’s biggest players.

Watson made that point again today, writing in a blog post that there is “clear evidence that any slowdown in increase is mostly centered on regional craft brewers.”

Truly, sales at convenience and grocery stores for three of the top five BA-defined craft beer firms — Sierra Nevada, Boston Beer and Gambrinus — were down as much as 3 percent through July 10, according to market research business IRI Worldwide.

Watson credited those declines to “fewer low-hanging growth opportunities, competition from the big brewers, acquisitions of just a more crowded beer market, along with fast growing breweries.”

But regional brewery performance remains only one part of the equation. According to Watson, increase amongst microbreweries – those businesses making less than 15,000 barrel annually – and brewpubs are “nearly as powerful as ever.”

“We found 30 percent plus increase in breweries that were less than 15,000 barrels last year,” he wrote.

But slower growth hasn’t checked brewery openings. Additionally, there are still another 2,200 breweries in planning, the organization added.”

Will Finding Great Craft Beer Near Me Be a Problem In The Future?

Watson said in a video statement that accompanied the release, “As long as beer fan demand for craft brewed beer continues to rise, there will be new market opportunities for small and independent craft brewers.”