Competition in the craft beer industry

Why don't you go talk to a brewer instead of speculating his/her attitude?

 

Don't need to, tons of brewers have answered this question. The ridiculous plethora of collaborations should give some pretty good evidence too.

 

you need to turn a profit to remain in business. everyone is competition, which doesn't mean you have to treat them unethically like the rotten kunts at ABinBev are doing with their new push on distributors. i think, however, that craft brewing is more harmonious than other industries, and that together they raising the awareness of good beer

 

Im gonna say all of the above. You see some guys as a small guy, just wants to make beer for his community (Alpine) and gets mad when on the internet. You see some guys just doing DONG, you see some opening breweries in new cities (Sierra Nevada) and some opening overseas (Stone). Its all what makes them happy really.

Cheers!

 

Not really. Your business needs to benefit its stakeholders enough to make it worthwhile. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to turn a profit.

 

LOL reDiCuLE

 

in the longrun you need to turn a profit or you won't have investors.

 

you do need to benefit your stakeholders, and often times that buy making a profit, which implies growth. Growth implies happy stakeholders. You don't always have to turn a profit if you're a non-profit, or an entity that's business model aims to breakeven yearly, but that doesn't seem like something stakeholders (employees, owners, customers, BAs) would be very excited about.

 

You don't need investors either.

 

Seems to me that while craft brewers operate within a capitalist framework and of course are competing with one another, they also work as an industry to gain shelf space and more widespread recognition for the better of all involved. It's an interesting case and part of the reason I'm drawn to the industry (currently looking for work!), but it would also be naive to assume that it's all fun and games. If anything, there's probably the most competition among "big" craft brewers (Stone, NB, Lagunitas, etc) as they all compete near the same price point and have wide distro. The smaller breweries are usually spending more time to get local tap space and often use the same distro lines as the larger breweries. Good topic, OP.

 

There are as many answers as there are brewers / breweries. However, from the ones I see and talk to, it's a sort of friendly competition. Most brewers have no problem hanging out, trying each others brews, etc.

 

Are people actually debating wether a brewery need to make a monetary profit to stay in business?

I would think each individual brewery is entirely looking out for themselves, especially in the long run. Just like any other business, success is the first goal.
Part of that success has to be addressing competition. And given the number of craft breweries on the shelf in a lot of markets, competition must be pretty fierce. Probably not as "cut-throat" as many other industries, but competition nonetheless.

Lol @ the first choice actually getting a vote.

 

Hello. There is an often mentioned phrase from Sam Calagione that says something to the effect of 'the craft beer industry is 99% craft beer lovers and 1% assholes'. I'll put Jim Koch of Boston Brewing in the 1% category.

 

There's a similar one about BAs if you know what I mean.

 

I feel most craft brewers just want to make a decent/good living doing something they enjoy.

 

Personally, I thought the catering to crossover types would have slowed down at this point in craft beer's history and more attention would be given to engaging and keeping repeat customers. Seems to me that craft brewers are concentrating on getting more macrolager drinkers to switch over and/or are concentrating on the beer geek who always wants something new, big flavors, rare, high abv, weird ingredients, bbl aging etc. Seems like those of us in the middle that want more than just entry level flagships, yet think high end craft beer is ridiculous (in many ways) is being ignored. Eventually growth rates will slow, and high end will become even more marginalized - those that have paid attention to the middle of the pack will thrive.

 

I think there's not enough profit-motive in the way they do things.