The art of choosing which beer to sell has become a highly competitive, data-driven process, and the tastemaking “beer buyers” with the job are often regarded as celebrity gatekeepers who can make or break upstart breweries.
Although fruit styles only make up 1.5 percent of the total sales in the craft IPA category, the number of brands has increased, according to Chicago-based consumer insights company IRI.
Fort Collins, Colo., is more than just a Front Range college town—it’s also often referred to as the “Napa Valley of Beer.” And this city of just over 150,000 is part of the “Denver Beer Triangle.”
