Location, location, location

I've noticed this in Wisconsin - a lot of the craft breweries (Central Waters, New Glarus, O'so, Black Husky just to name a few) are pretty removed.

 

Around here the brewpubs ( right proper, bluejacket, capital city, mad fix etc )are in the hippest/nicest areas, and the production breweries (Port City, Atlas, etc) are in industrial areas which is not surprising since they are industrial enterprises, despite their tap rooms.

 

Yeah I've always wondered why. Many of the breweries I visited were in industrial parks. They include Uinta Brewing, Central Waters, Societe Brewing (and they don't bottle). But there are breweries that are not in industrial parks and their buildings are a majestic masterpiece. This includes New Glarus, where it gives you that WWII era European feel when you visit.

 

Deschutes... picturesque Bend, right by the river, right by the touristy & local area for events, shopping, restaurants. Man I love that place.

 

every new brewery around chicago is in some form of an industrial park removed from a city center (at least all the ones i've been to). makes sense though given that they need places with 20+ ft ceiling for tanks and i'm sure it's much cheaper than trying to set up shop in a downtown.

 

I think that most of it is due to cost. Most of the breweries that have opened up in Houston are in a semi industrial area. My guess is that the rent is cheaper and it is simpler to wedge yourself into existing construction and usually there are off the main grid so shipping isn't a big pain in the ass. Wineries on the other hand are usually locate close to the crop to reduce the price of hauling the grapes

 

Jester King is 45 min outside of Austin and a great example of if you build it, they will come. Many wineries are the same way.

 

In some cities production breweries are viewed as a manufacturer, so zoning puts them in a manufacturing area. Brewpubs are restaurants that also make beer, so those go into entertainment districts.

Some wineries that buy thegrapes are in industrial spaces. Vintners that have fields of vines are more rural, some remote.

 

not so much "black sheep" as simply the fact that beer has very transportable ingredients, and the final product doesn't necessarily have to be consumed on site. i like the analogy (i believe it's garrett oliver's) that winemakers are more like farmers, and brewers are more like chefs and bakers - EXCEPT for the fact that in modern society the final product is also transportable and semi-durable (or at least moreso than bread and cake). a restaurant serves food that in theory is transportable, but good ones also sell a dining experience, which isn't very mobile (i guess this is where food trucks come in ). wineries are culturally expected to be more tied to the land, although this has changed in the last 20 or so years as well.

unless we're talking about brewpubs that aren't also production breweries, and therefore depend on on-site revenue, a brewer is a manufacturer.

EDIT - lol, what @hopfenunmaltz said

 

Maybe something to to with the rebellious nature of craft beer...non-conforming to expected social behaviors....beards weren't hip until we made them hip.

 

I work in food and I've noticed by dealing with brewers and wine people that brewers are just FAR more down to earth, fun, and are concerned about just producing the best product they can compared to restaurants and wine makers who in my experiences with them care a lot about appearances and social status.

 

Lots of times it's zoning, as previously stated. But, it's also due to the fact that brewing - particularly on the production scale - is a capital intensive operation, so at least for awhile, margins and cash flow are tight. Those kinds of locations help to reduce overhead costs, which go a long way towards making many of these operations sustainable.

 

I can's speak for the rest of the country but in Portland breweries aren't the only ones to utilize a warehouse space. Lots of restaurants and coffee roasters are using the raw exposed wood look that warehouses provide to make some very popular places. I don't see breweries doing anything other than following the trend. On the other hand you have the picturesque breweries (Logsdon, Solera, Ale Apothecary) that appeal to the sense of adventure in most PNWers and locate their breweries in fantastic natural locations.

 

I doubt most breweries are conceived of as "destinations."

 

Logsdon isn't the greatest example anymore. Ale Apothecary is open by appointment and in my experiences Paul is very open and willing to make it work. However once again its going to be a mute point once their taproom in Bend opens. However breweries such as Solera in Parkdale, OR, Thunder Island in Cascade Locks, and Backwoods in Carson, WA are between 30 mins-1 hour away from any real populated area. However these breweries get a draw from their scenery. Is that the reason they set up in those areas I couldnt tell you. I know for Thunder Island and Backwoods the brewers are from the area. However I think that the scenery is a reason to put a brewery in a scenic location.