Are local pubs/taverns seeing decrease in patrons..

I doubt it. Pretty sure the BMC crowd makes up 99.9% of most watering holes patronage. Us crafty types are an insignificant portion, I'd imagine.

 

Depends on the city/area I'm sure. In Tucson the local dives/watering holes like The Bambi, The Buffet, The Mint, The Shelter, etc. are all thriving as they always have been for decades. Craft beer bars/taprooms are doing just fine there as well (The Tap & Bottle, Ermanos, Reilly's).

The local dives here in NJ/Philly area are thriving and craft beer spots seem to be doing great. So to answer your question anecdotally, no, I don't think there is any major shift going on in either direction.

 

This phenomenon is exactly what is described in the article discussed here:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/craft-and-imports-grow-macro-declines.490660/

 

Even as hyperbole, that seems unlikely, given that the Brewers Association (admitting that accurate stats are difficult to come by) says that while the on-premise percentage of the total beer market is under 20%, "... 35 percent of craft’s volume (comes) via on-premise channels". That means "craft" brewers do better on-premise than the entire industry as a whole, and it is really doubtful that a significant percentage of that beer is sold over the bar at brewpubs/breweries, given the total market share of the "craft" segment that comes from the larger craft breweries.

 

Actually I see the opposite, most of the places around me are packed regardless of additional places to drink. Not sure in other states but it seems like the more that open the crowds follow and all are busy, least the ones I go to.

 

There seem to be more craft beer bars in NYC than ever, which is good for me because that's where I prefer to go.

 

Here in Fort Collins where we have many great craft breweries and craft bars, old-school brewpubs such as Coopersmiths and C.B. & Potts are still going strong. Their beer is nothing special and they don't attract many serious beer drinkers, but they're usually packed with your average step-up-from-BMC types. Having good food helps.

 

I haven't noticed any drop off at the bars I frequent, and I can't imagine myself not frequenting them due to the social aspect plus the ability to get pours of beers I either can't find or don't want to commit to anything more than just a pour. Bottle shops on the other hand? My last 4 or 5 beer runs have been brewery releases. I have 3-4 bottle shops that I try to swing through on a semi-regular basis, but it's been weeks since I've been in any of them.

 

Maybe I didn't read close enough but when they say 35 percent of craft's volume comes via on-premise are they referring strictly to draft beer or to take away beer as well?

Regardless most breweries start off away from high traffic areas so only really successful breweries can sustain enough pull in traffic to even compete with traditional bars. Usually that means just outside a big city or in a secondary city. Add to that to really compete they need to provide food which not a ton of places do. I can think of some notable great tap rooms that are generally packed but its still pretty few and far between I think to make an impact.

There are the big guys like Stone that has a great tap room but even Liberty Station is outside the city. Nightshift which is on the outskirts of a great area but not in the city. Singlecut has a great tap room but they are in Astoria not Manhattan. Jack's Abby which is in Framingham which is a secondary city. La Cumbre which is in a more industrial part of the city. J. Wakefield which is in a cool area but not in Miami Beach. All the breweries with great tap rooms I can think of are not in the heart of the city (there are certainly ones in the cities but my point is they are not the norm). At this point they are just an extra successful bar rather than something that will pull away business from traditional bars.

 

I'll admit that I'm not invested enough to do more than a cursory glance at your sources, but would those statistics cited include brewpubs serving beer that they themselves have brewed? I can see taprooms/brewpubs gaining a larger share of the market, as far as on premise sales go, but I don't think that local taverns/pubs/watering holes/dive bars/etc. would be seeing any decline in sales/customers.

 

From the article:

 

Totally anecdotal, but I prefer drinking in a bar to a brewery. Breweries are great, not to say I don't enjoy them, but I like the variety I can get at a bar. If I know I want some good sour beer, or a particular beer style, I may visit one brewery or another, otherwise I'll visit a bar where I can open up with an IPA from a few hundred miles away, and close with a stout made down the street.

 

I definitely fall into this category and I know I'm not alone. If brewpubs/taprooms didn't exist, my only public drinking would probably at special events and restaurants. I very rarely find myself at a traditional bar.

 

You might also be converting new fans who are dragged to a brewery, decide they like what they had and now seek it in bars. Usually brewery tap room hours suck though, at least around here (North East). Even a new brewery might just be open Thurs through Saturday, closing at 7 PM (don't know if that is by law, lazy owners or if they need time to brew and work).

 

Yeah, I'll always take the multitude of styles and options myself. Plus, for me there's the public transportation. When I go to a brewery, it's usually by car so I just get cans or growlers to go.

 

What's public transportation?

 

It saves you money on a ride home, so that you can just spend it on more beer .

 

When I first visited Portland years ago and came across a nano brewery in a garage with minimal food being grilled outside I thought this is great but I'm not sure it would work everywhere.

On a visit to Levante Brewing Co. in West Chester, PA yesterday, however, I changed my mind and thought "this is the future of small breweries in America". It was packed because of the good weather, and it reminded me of the biergartens in Germany. I've also seen this happen at fully enclosed breweries in the dead of winter with snow on the ground - and not on a weekend either. These places offer a different experience than most pubs, at least for now.

However, I think bubseymour has called it correctly in stating that these are new people who are getting into beer who otherwise would not be out drinking.

Overall I think it has to impact other small taprooms, taverns, and restaurants/brewpubs - but keep in mind that they're still seeing increased growth due to the beer craze as well!

Only time will tell, but (it must be the German in me) I appreciate the fact that I can go somewhere for good beer and bring my own food! Or at least get an inexpensive offering from a food truck, or the brewery itself. Yesterday's visit cost me $15 in food... had I gone to Iron Hill up the road or Three Dogs Tavern that would have been at least double, and I would have ended up eating more than I wanted to / should have.