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Tag: Big Beer

  
Daring to Make the Leap: Switzerland Jumps into the Global Beer Revolution Beer Without Borders by

Once dominated by a few macro lagers, Switzerland’s recent craft brewing boom has left it with more breweries per capita than any other European nation.

Beer in 2018, As It Was Foretold Beer Smack by

We recently gazed into our Magic 8 Ball and asked, “What will 2018 bring to the wonderful world of beer?” To which it replied, “Outlook hazy, try again.”

The 20 Most-Read BeerAdvocate Stories of 2017 News by

Unsurprisingly, many of the most popular BeerAdvocate stories in 2017 focus on hops, while a nearly equal number of popular stories explored the meaning of “craft beer” as Big Beer continued its aggressive takeovers.

Lord of the Barflies Unfiltered by

Once heralded for its camaraderie, the craft brewing community is under siege from within as each buyout fractures the industry’s communal spirit.

Boycotting Is a Slippery Slope Beer Smack by

Rather than call for a boycott, we’d rather bring some awareness to the issues, share our opinion, host the discussion, and allow consumers to decide what’s best for them.

Forget Craft. Let’s Try Transparency Unfiltered by

While Big Beer pushes for a “post-craft” mindset, emphasizing flavor over ownership, consumers deserve transparency about a brand’s heritage.

Zombie Beer Brands Beer Smack by

Something that’s not discussed often enough about the impact of independent (indie) brewers selling out to megacorps is where we as consumers see it the most: on menus and shelves.

Draw and Hold the Line Beer Smack by

It’s easy not to care about the seemingly arbitrary definition of “craft brewer.” So long as the beer tastes good, right? Wrong.

A Theory of Evolution: The Future of Global Beer Unfiltered by

It’s been a year of intrigue and plot twists—multimillion dollar deals begat billion dollar deals, while a half-dozen or more transactions constantly swirl in the rumor mill.

Living in Isolation: How Elitism is Alienating Macro Beer Fans Unfiltered by

It’s time for small brewers and beer enthusiasts to stop taking cheap shots at Big Beer and instead focus on their own products.

From the Balcony: Previewing the Next Chapter in the Beer Industry’s Business Saga Feature by

A look at the beer industry post-2015, the year that Big Beer acquired successful craft breweries left and right and infused mind-boggling amounts of money into the business. Their plan? Buy more shelf space.

The Fight for Independents Unfiltered by

As the term “indie beer” rises in popularity, it’s time to rethink what it really means to be an independent brewery.

Names and Labels Unfiltered by

Why it’s time to give up on a meaningless phrase and accept a growing truth: craft beer is just beer.

What’s Next? Unfiltered by

Amid the introduction of hundreds and thousands of new brewers—some small, some unbelievably large—we are witnessing a massive changing of the guard. America’s oldest breweries face a host of challenges ranging from demographics to succession.

Mapping Beer’s Future Unfiltered by

Instead of targeting a seemingly endless stream of macro tap handles, as they once could, craft brewers find themselves reluctantly attacking the established marketplace achievements of their so-called craft beer brethren.

The Craft Beer Middle Class Unfiltered by

We do not hear much about a middle class, those mainly regional brewers slogging it out in the trenches day after day. These mid-sized breweries, which make 15 to 20,000 barrels or more and distribute in only a small number of states, are the bishops and knights of the craft beer chess game, crucial to the industry’s performance.

Crap on Tap Unfiltered by

With all of its successes, this nation of craft beer should not define itself through its larger corporate rivals. It’s time for a new generation of craft beer slogans, focused on promoting the positive characteristics that the industry symbolizes.

The Beer Language Dilemma Unfiltered by

While we generally agree on what we’re discussing, defining these beer-related concepts remains a difficult task.

Craft Beer is Dead Last Call by

Tim Schnars II of the Erie Brewing Co. questions the use of “craft” in relation to bigger and bigger breweries.

The Return of Generic Beer. Sort of. Beer Smack by

Despite how it tastes, mark our words. The return of “generic” cheap beer is coming. In fact, it’s already here.

I Don’t Do Denial The Politics of Beer by

Some of the world’s largest brewery companies appear relaxed about their falling sales in established markets because of increasing sales in emerging ones. The trifling fact that even big brands are showing signs of implosion is an inconvenient truth, best left unmentioned. It is just “fluctuations.”

Is A-B Inbev Going West? The Politics of Beer by

A series of public relations blunders in their Belgian operations in recent years has led to the kind of poll ratings that make politicians choke.

Beer to be Thankful For Unfiltered by

From modest, ambitious, even naïve origins, the beer industry has seen incredible changes in the short lifespan of better beer.

Size Matters The Politics of Beer by

At some point in the expansion of a brewing business, those who seek to make good beers cede control to those who wish to command a large business.