Will buying LOCAL reign supreme?

I especially make it a point to support breweries I can bike to. As more open up, and as my bike skills improve, that list is lengthening

 

Is it now? I know the local movement is big, but it may grow...

Depends on what's local, really. But in general it's never a bad idea to support the community you're in, plus it's a nice thing to do. Although if it's terrible beer, I'll try to avoid it.

 

I live in Oregon and other than Sierra Nevada because of it's price point and quality it's rare that I'd buy anything but a local.

 

I love to buy local when possible. No, or extremely limited, shipping involved. Unfortunately, more often than not quality, and even more frequently price, stop me from making the extra trip and buying locally.

 

The idea of buying 'local' is certainly appealing. But if the quality is not there (and frequently, it simply isn't), forget it. Paying premium prices for what all too often tastes like rookie homebrew is abhorrent to me.

 

I support the local breweries that I like and will buy/suggest their offerings (trade extras as promoting/advocating for) but also am happy to try what is available, highly suggested, highly rated via trade/travel/online or trusted bottle shop.

 

I buy whatever's interesting me that day. There's a relatively large local brewery near me that I was looking at the dates on keg collars of their IPA in a store and they were all from May but I could buy two week old IPAs from California an aisle down. The only local beer I'm loyal to is taproom only (unfortunately) at Taft's Ale House. Otherwise, I can generally get better or more interesting from outside my local area.

Though, I realized the original question from the thread was "WILL local breweries reign supreme"? The smartass in me says "yep, every brewery is local to somewhere!" But, a more realistic answer is that yes, I think that local beer will continue to remain in a position of power their home markets. For people who only drink occasionally and heard new something about a new beer made in town, it'll be their beer of choice in bars/restaurants so they can try the new thing they heard about. Local beers have much more buzz than a new release from a brewery 5 states away that gets us beer geeks riled up, so that will always give local beer a leg up on premise. Assuming that your average beer drinker who wants something a little nicer than an AAL will be ok with some of the mediocre stuff coming out of locals, they'll probably buy the same beer again in the store. So yes, in many ways "local" will generally have some sort of advantage in their home market.

 

Factors that I consider when purchasing:
1. Quality
2. Freshness

Location is not a factor considered, however may have an influence on these qualities at times.

 

Quality > local. There's new breweries popping up all over here in Buffalo, but only one makes beer I'd put on par with what I can get at stores

 

I'm a big fan of my local breweries, but I am in Chicago, but am spoiled for choice. My question is, what is considered local anymore. Lagunitas opened up a giant regional center here in Chicago, but I don't think that that qualifies as local in the same way that Revolution, Half Acre, or Pipeworks (just to name a few of my favorites) do.

As more and more breweries do the same, will people feel that the bigger name with a nearby brewery qualifies as local?

 

I don't notice correlation between local and fresher at local retailers.

I also trust some larger nationals, like Sierra Nevada, to hold up better over time because of their superior quality control.

 

What's considered local? 20 miles? 50 miles? 3 Floyds is 4 hours away from me so is that local?

 

I am often more willing to give new local beers a chance, but if they disappoint me, I won't be buying it again just to support local

 

I think finding a balance is reasonable. Supporting local for various reasons is noble and logical, but some of my favorite beers come from other regions or even continents. I will continue to buy my favorite Belgian, British, and German beers from time to time, especially those that age well (so freshness is not a major issue). I live in KC, MO, where the local beer scene is growing at a healthy rate. I find myself supporting these breweries more and more, but I still go for some of the others now and then.

 

More or less get where you're coming from, but there are several East Coast beers that I simply enjoy drinking that I'll go out of my way to trade for: Heady/HF/Trillium come to mind. It's not that they're significantly "better," but they're unique, enjoyable, and have an overall different flavor profile than most West Coast beers.

 

Isn't SN in North Carolina now? That's not really the "other side" anymore.

 

I buy local when the locals are whales. Just kidding. I feel like buying local is the best option and the one I choose the majority of the time but it's nice to try something from a different place every once and a while.

 

Yeah. They brew in Mills River, NC in addition to Chico, CA. Still isn't local/regional for me though. 981 miles according to Google Maps. Another example: I get fresh Ballast Point here easily and I don't think they brew outside of SoCal.

I like the concept of drinking local, but as much as I love VT IPAs, I'd be sad to give up their West Coast brethren.

 

What is local exactly? 50 miles radius? Within the state? Within a bigger region?

 

I drink a lot of locally produced high quality beer. Whether it is from more established production breweries (e.g., Victory, Sly Fox, Stoudt’s, etc.) or more recently opened breweries/brewpubs (e.g., Tired Hands, Forest & Main, etc.).

I am fortunate that in SEPA the level of competition from so many local breweries appears to ‘enforce’ that quality beer be produced.

My mottos are:

· Drink local as long as the beer is ‘good’

· Fresh beer is ‘better’

I personally will continue to drink locally.

Cheers!