Will buying LOCAL reign supreme?

I get where you are going with this. For instance, Troegs probably sells more cases than Sierra Nevada where I am in central PA (15 minutes from Hershey). I also like different aspects of each and would say they both are damn good breweries. Troegs would probably be fresher though, giving me more of a reason to buy it.

 

I rather enjoy buying local, although I'd consider all of Quebec "local". We're quite spoiled in terms of quality and because of the support Quebec brewers receive, they strive for even more. It's become quite the hotbed and I'm happy to support. That being said, when we get something from the states I make the drive to try some of what you fine people constantly discuss, and well, of course, belgians

 

I buy local for community and buy regionally and nationally for things I can't get locally and for quality. I go to the local brewpub, brew house, taproom or bar because I know people there I want to have a beer with or I'm hungry and need a sandwich. When I go to the beer store I look for things I haven't seen before.

 

Sam Adams can be considered a local beer for me here in NJ as well...their brewery outside of Easton PA (the old Schaefer brewery) is pretty close to where I live in Joisey.

 

Quality first, but quality is subjective. As between two different styles of IPA, both of which are awesome but different, I might defer to the local one as my "regular" buy. There's some likelihood it'll be fresher, but that is not always true.

All other things being equal (esp. quality and price), the idea at least is that the amount I'm spending is more likely to be reinvested in my community. But there is a huge assumption in there: that the brewer spends local, too. And although it's not totally fair, I consider local anything in-state. They are subject to the same state tax regime, so they ultimately have to contribute to a state apparatus from which I will (ultimately and theoretically) receive some benefit.

 

Being a resident of SEPA I hear you!

I enjoy Sierra Nevada beer but more often than not it is a a few months old when I see them at my beer stores. I bought a 6-pack of Troegs Hop Knife a few days ago that was bottled on 7/23/15 (less than 1 month ago). I wish that I could say that once I purchased a beer from Sierra Nevada that was less than a month old but I can't.

@sierranevadabill

Cheers!

 

I'd reckon that buy local beers far more than out-of-state beer, but we're pretty spoiled out here. Hell, if I were forced to only buy beer made in the city I live in, I'd turn out okay.

 

I grab whatever is freshest these days. Which is increasingly local stuff. I don't know if it's just my distribution area/distributor or what but I don't really ever see big name stuff that's less than a month old. In fact I just saw Torpedo the other day that was from April

 

I hear you!!

@sierranevadabill

Cheers!

 

I make it a point to buy (everything) local, for practical and philosophical reasons. In regards to beer, I'm lucky enough to live in the Northwest, where you can't swing a stick without hitting a really good brewery.

 

I support breweries that produce good beer. Some of them happen to be local. No movement for me, just supporting quality businesses.

 

Three eek! faces for a four month old Sierra? That's a level three eek! for you? I just did my beer shopping today and the store had tons of two year old options. I was hoping to get some Oktoberfests, and they had lots, but they were all last year's.

 

Just because it's local doesn't mean it's good beer. Lots of people love crappy breweries just because they are local.

 

I can appreciate the advantages of "local" but don't necessarily seek it out over non-local stuff. Whatever is good (and of course fresh) is what I'm buying

 

I drink what I like best regardless of where it is from and I encourage others to do the same.

If your local beers are among the best ones available in your market then be thankful, because not everyone can say that.

Also, majority of replies so far has me toasting to the screen quite a few times.

 

Oktoberfests from last year?

 

It may not reign supreme, but it will expose more people to good/craft beer. This is a pretty good time to be opening a brewery with the growing popularity of food trucks in the Houston area. Practically every small brewery here is open multiple times during the week with a real strong following and they don't have to worry about serving up food for the masses. They have the food trucks for that, most even have boards up with phone numbers for places that will deliver. Even those probably without the best product are bringing people thru the doors and exposing them to something different. They are luring them there with entertainment/food/cheap beer (cheaper than most bars). Most have created a family friendly environment and there are a couple of places that are considered destination spots on weekends. So starting local is good, changing your palette is good, seeking out different beer is good.

 

If by local you mean by state, CA dominates my purchasing habits. Probably 80% of what I buy is California made. If you mean local like 2 hours driving distance, it's probably 30-40% of my buying. If you're talking <25 miles, that's maybe 5-10% at the most for me.

In general I think certain hotspots will be dominated by local beers (i.e. San Diego, Portland, Vermont), but most areas don't pump out enough high quality beer to decentralize the industry at large. Local will play an important role, but I doubt it'll be all-encompassing.