The Brew Lounge: Growth

Showing posts with label Growth. Show all posts

Friday, August 10, 2018

Mid-2018 report: The craft segment is either growing or maintaining or Who Moved My Beer?

The beer glass is either half full and getting fuller or at least not getting more empty. Hm, let's think about that for a second. Basically there's a lot of breweries out there. Plenty more in the making. Plenty more beer being made and lots of people still interested in getting to know beer. But maybe not as many there used to be. Thing about statistical forecasting is that it takes quite a few data points to make conclusive statements about both current state and future trends.

Here's the Brewers Association's press release regarding its mid-year report on the state of the industry.

Brewers Association Reports Mid-Year Growth Pace Remains Stable for Small and Independent Brewers
Boulder, Colo. • July 31, 2018 — Growth for small and independent craft brewers remained stable for the first half of 2018, according to new mid-year metrics released by the Brewers Association (BA) — the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers. Production volume for the craft segment increased five percent during the first half of 2018.

“While more mature, the market continues to show demand for small and independent craft brewers,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “There are certainly industry headwinds, but this stabilized growth rate is reflective of the market realities that exist for brewers today.”

As of June 30, there were 6,655 active breweries, up from 5,562 during a comparable timeframe last year. An estimated 2,500 to 3,000 breweries are in planning, based on active Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) licenses.

“The data demonstrate that 2018 is on pace to have the highest number of brewery openings and closings to date. However, even as breweries close, openings continue to far outpace the number that shutter,” added Watson. “New players looking to enter the space should be aware of the constructs of the current landscape, work to differentiate themselves and will need to make quality beer to succeed.”

Craft brewer definition: An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately three percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

About the Brewers Association
The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 4,800-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup^®, Great American Beer Festival^®, Craft Brewers Conference^® & BrewExpo America^®, SAVOR^TM: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew ConTM, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week^®. The BA publishes The New Brewer^® magazine, and Brewers Publications^TM is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com^® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association^® and the free Brew Guru® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

© Bryan J. Kolesar and The Brew Lounge, 2018. All content is owned and uniquely created by Bryan J. Kolesar. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Kolesar is strictly prohibited. Excerpts, images, and links may be used with advance permission granted and only provided that full and clear credit is given to Bryan J. Kolesar and The Brew Lounge with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Contact Kolesar at TheBrewLounge@gmail.com

Saturday, June 02, 2018

Dogfish Head - still going and still growing

While Dogfish Head is on my mind, particularly after dabbling in its Philly Beer Week annual collaboration with a Belgian brewer — in this year's case, it was Browerij De Brabandere — it reminded me to pass along one of the more recent press releases I've received. This one announcing the current status of DFH's growth in its home state of Delaware over the last three years. If you visit Rehoboth Beach, you likely are already aware. If not, read on.

Dogfish Head Celebrates Completion of Three-Year Journey Bringing Together all the Goodness in Rehoboth
Opening of new courtyard, merchandise store and brewing and distilling systems

Rehoboth Beach, Del., May 29, 2018 – After 23 years of serving original beers and spirits, wood-fired food and world-class music, Dogfish Head is embarking on a new era of creating more goodness as they celebrate the completion of a three-year journey at the location where it originally began on Rehoboth Ave. The beautifully landscaped courtyard, new brewhouse and distillery operations, and Off-Centered EmPOURium store is the final stage in bringing together the downtown restaurants, Brewings & Eats – an off-centered brewpub, and Chesapeake & Maine – a geographically inspired seafood restaurant, and establishing it as the heart for all things Dogfish.

The project commenced in 2015 when they first began construction on Chesapeake & Maine, then went on to build a new, world-class Brewings & Eats in the former parking area. Dogfish then tore down the original pub to make way for the new courtyard and operational enhancements. “From the world-class stage to the killer brewing and distilling program, guests can truly experience 360° of Dogfish in the same place we first began our story in 1995 as the smallest craft brewery in America,” says Sam Calagione, CEO and founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. “I’m most proud that over the years we’ve been successful in building our Rehoboth restaurant brands as top beer destinations in the Mid-Atlantic region, and by coming together, and connecting our beer, food, spirits, music and merchandise – we can provide a world-class, panoramic, multi-sensory experience for folks to enjoy at our downtown properties.”

The charmingly landscaped, dog-friendly outdoor patio area seats 36 guests and serves as a passageway connecting Brewings & Eats and Chesapeake & Maine. The menu offers a full selection of food and drink offerings from the pub. With a rustic wooden exterior and large glass windows framing the courtyard, the gathering space offers behind-the-scenes views into the brewing and distilling production areas along with allowing guests to see bartenders and mixologists serving drinks and chatting up customers through the windows of both restaurants. Nestled in the corner of the patio is a beautiful, 14-barrel mash tun dating from the late 90s. Handcrafted in the UK, this wooden relic was Calagione’s dream mash tun back in the day when he first opened the doors for business in Rehoboth. When the opportunity to purchase the brewing equipment became available, Calagione jumped at the chance to bring it home to Dogfish and plans to incorporate it into the off-centered outdoor garden as a beer-inspired rain barrel of sorts.

The new, fully-manual five-barrel brewhouse system includes five fermentation tanks and five serving tanks. These enhancements allow for increased brewing production capacity enabling Bryan Selders, Dogfish Head Brewing Ambassador, the ability to create a significantly higher volume of ingredient-driven, inventive brewpub exclusives. The new 50-gallon still allows Graham Hamblett, Lead Distiller at Dogfish Head Distilling Co., to experiment with creating culinary-inspired spirits which will be served at the Rehoboth restaurants.

To celebrate the opening, Dogfish Head Distilling Co. is debuting Lemon & Peppercorn Vodka, a spirit that captures the essence of both restaurants as it contains the quintessential seafood seasoning found at Chesapeake & Maine, with a wood fire smoked twist done at Brewings & Eats. Using Analog Vodka as the base, they distill dried lemon peel and a medley of peppercorns. This citrus-peppery spirit is used to macerate hand-sliced, wood-fire grilled lemons from Brewings & Eats. Lemon & Peppercorn Vodka will be exclusively available in the restaurants.

For those looking to take a little bit of the Dogfish Head universe home, guests can swing into the Off-Centered EmPOURium to purchase Dogfish merchandise, including exclusive Rehoboth t-shirts, hoodies and hats. Folks can also find keychains, stickers, coasters and glassware. Keeping the spirit alive from the original Brewings & Eats, the counter top in the Off-Centered EmPOURium is the old bar top from the 1995 pub. Bike racks and stroller parking are also available.

For more information about Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, Chesapeake & Maine and the Off-Centered EmPOURium, visit dogfish.com.

Dogfish Head:
Dogfish Head has proudly been focused on brewing beers with culinary ingredients outside the Reinheitsgebot since the day it opened as the smallest American craft brewery 23 years ago. Dogfish Head has grown into a top-20 craft brewery and has won numerous awards throughout the years including Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Brewery of the Year and the James Beard Foundation Award for 2017 Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional. It is a 300+ coworker company based in Delaware with Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, an off-centered brewpub and distillery, Chesapeake & Maine, a geographically enamored seafood restaurant, Dogfish Inn, a beer-themed inn on the harbor and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, a production brewery and distillery featuring a tasting room and food truck. Dogfish Head supports the Independent Craft Brewing Seal, the definitive icon for American craft breweries to identify themselves to be independently-owned and carries the torch of transparency, brewing innovation and the freedom of choice originally forged by brewing community pioneers. Dogfish Head currently sells beer in 42 states and Washington D.C. and will expand into additional states in 2018. For more information, visit www.dogfish.com, Facebook: @dogfishheadbeer, Twitter: @dogfishbeer, and Instagram: dogfishhead.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Look out Wine Country, Stone's bringing more great beer to Napa County making it harder to ignore as a beer destination

In keeping with my promise to pass more beer news and press releases along to you, here's one I recently received and is a significant one from California - specifically the southern Calif.-based Stone Brewing (though, can we say that with a brewery in Richmond, Va. and Berlin, Germany?) has infiltrated the north with an opening of a relatively small (10-bbl) brewpub in downtown Napa. Wine country? Let's say, wine & beer country.

Stone Brewing – Napa Opens in California’s Wine Country
Bold craft beer now brewing in the historic 1877 downtown Napa Borreo building

ESCONDIDO, CA (May 7, 2018) – The beer is brewing and the doors are officially open to the new Stone Brewing – Napa, a 9,500 square-foot restaurant and 10 barrel brewery in an iconic 1877 stone building. Stone brings its flavorful craft beer to the region well-known for its amazing wine and cuisine, offering visitors locally-brewed beers, a dining experience, growler fills and Stone merchandise.

“Restoring this historic building has been a complex process which we have been careful to steward with the utmost respect,” stated Greg Koch, Stone Brewing executive chairman & co-founder. “So it is with much pride, and no shortage of relief, that we finally open the doors knowing that we took the time to do it right. Seven years after I first stepped foot in the Borreo building, this place is just what I dreamed of – a top-notch destination devoted to celebrating craft beer.”

Stone’s 10-barrel brewing system will enable the company’s brewers to continue the longstanding tradition of innovation and creativity. The brewing program will be led by Steve Gonzalez, Stone’s six-year veteran Small Batch Senior Manager of Brewing & Innovation. Fortuitously, Steve also had a former career as a winemaker, making him uniquely qualified to bring together the two industries in unique and special ways. This will manifest itself in brewing techniques that include wine-barrel aging, beer recipes that include wine grapes, as well as interesting botanicals from the region’s diverse ecology.

Stone Brewing - Napa will fill growlers and serve Stone’s year-round beers as well as special releases brewed onsite. Guest beers from fellow craft brewers will be featured in a future rotation among 24 taps of beer. Wine by the bottle, glass and on tap will also be available alongside locally-roasted coffee and all-natural craft sodas.

The Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens food philosophy will carry over to the new Napa location with a dining experience that incorporates artisanal products, a focus on environmental responsibility and high-quality ingredients. Stone will purchase local and small-farm organic produce from the Napa region to support its eclectic menu of world-inspired cuisine. The casual yet distinctive menu items include Spent Grain Soft Pretzels, Choripán Argentinian Sausage Sandwich, a Poke Fire Bowl, and The Stone Brewing Impossible Burger. Chef Chris Kurth will manage the Stone Brewing - Napa kitchen. Kurth is a San Diego native who has graced the esteemed kitchens of The US Grant, L’Auberge Del Mar and The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

The brewery and restaurant features two stories including an upstairs seated bar and downstairs tasting/growler fill bar, a fireplace lounge and outdoor seating overlooking the Napa River. Glass walls offer views into the brewery and expansive doors and windows create an indoor/outdoor feel overlooking Downtown Napa. The interior incorporates stone, steel and glass and embraces the imperfections of the historic building. The Borreo building, named for the family that formerly owned the stone structure, is an Italianate Renaissance design made from native-cut stone. It was completed in 1877 and has been vacant since 2001.

Stone’s new outpost is located on 3rd and Soscol Avenue serving lunch and dinner daily. Parking is available across Soscol Ave., less than two blocks away on 3rd street. Its May 6 opening is a preview of the full offering, with menu items and draft beer selections expanding over the following month. Admittedly, putting a brewery and kitchen inside a 141-year-old building posed unexpected delays and the team is ramping up service with a full experience expected in early June.

Stone’s Napa project is the first of three upcoming destinations on a mission to fight the good fight for independent craft beer. Just one week prior to the opening of Stone Brewing – Napa, the Stone Brewing Tap Room – Prenzlauer Berg opened in the Berlin city center, 53 minutes by bike from the brewery and Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Berlin. Also underway, Stone Brewing Tap Room – Shanghai is scheduled to open in China this June.

QUICK FACTS
Address: 3rd and Soscol Avenue, Napa
Phone: 707-252-2337
Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 11am – 11pm
Friday – Saturday: 11am – 12pm
Reservations: By phone and via OpenTable.com beginning in June
Chef: Chris Kurth
Lead Brewer: Steve Gonzalez

ABOUT STONE BREWING
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, the groundbreaking San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 8th largest craft brewer in the United States. Recognized as an award-winning industry leader, Stone has been listed on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list 12 times and has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The multifaceted company was the first American craft brewer to build, own and operate its own brewery in Europe (Berlin, Germany), and also opened a production brewery in Richmond, Virginia in 2016. Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing… and pledging never, ever, sell out to the man. For more information on Stone Brewing, please visit stonebrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Tuesday, May 08, 2018

Iron Hill gets lucky in South Carolina with its 13th Grand Opening

Been away for a little while working on deadlines as well as spending a week in Nashville for the Craft Brewers Conference and World Beer Cup. I'll cover the latter later this week.

First up, I knew it was coming and all of a sudden it was here. Iron Hill now has a shop down south; pretty far down south as a matter of fact. South Carolina. I continue to impressed and proud of the company culture, the measured growth plan, and of course the final product of people, atmosphere, food, and beer.

In case you were not aware, the other twelve locations are in Delaware (Newark [1996] and Wilmington [2003]), New Jersey (Maple Shade [2009] and Voorhees [2013]), and Pennsylvania (Media [2000], West Chester [1999], North Wales [2004], Phoenixville [2006], Lancaster [2007], Chestnut Hill/Philly [2012], Ardmore [2014], and Huntingdon Valley [2016]).

The next three locations on the docket are Center City Philadelphia, Rehoboth Beach, Del., and Hershey, Pa. These additions will take them close to 2,000 employees strong. Not too shabby, eh?

Here's the official press release.

Lucky Number 13: Iron Hill Opens In Greenville

Award-Winning Brewery and Restaurant Brings Craft Kitchen, Scratch Beer to Palmetto State

Wilmington, DE (May 1, 2018) – Delaware-based Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant further expands their brewery and restaurant portfolio with the opening of their 13th location in Greenville, SC. Located at 741 Haywood Road, the launch is a major part of the company’s aggressive ‘20 by ‘20’ initiative. It marks the first location in a new market for the group, and promises to bring the delicious, made from scratch menu items and creatively crafted beer for which the popular restaurant group is widely known, to the south.

Operating Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., the newest Iron Hill location at the bustling Haywood Mall area is bringing an additional 100 full and part time jobs to the Greenville region. Designed by Boulder-based Bray Architecture, the brewery and restaurant spans 7,500 sq. ft. and has a seating capacity of 250, which includes an on-site brewery, cocktail area, and an outdoor patio. The brewery, which is fully operational on-site, will produce between 800 to 900 barrels of their award-wining craft beer annually.

The on-site brewery will enable Iron Hill Greenville to deliver the same craft beer freshness with the new Upstate Kolsch, an homage to the brand’s 13th location, and favorites such as the award-winning signature Vienna Red™ Lager, Iron Hill Light Lager and White Iron® Wit, as well as deliciously wholesome fare including the Brewski Burger ($13.50), Gold Medal Baby Back Ribs ($17.00/$25.00), Char-Grilled Ribeye Steak ($29.00), Baked Chesapeake-Style Crab Cakes ($27.00) and Pan Roasted Organic Chicken ($21.00). Along with signature menu items and craft beer, there will be a daily feature sheet, showcasing chef created dishes using the freshest seasonal ingredients.

In addition to their brand-wide donation to CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, and as part of Iron Hill’s philanthropy and commitment to the communities they serve, the brewery and restaurant will be collaborating with Greenville’s Project Host to donate $0.75 from each Triple Chocolate Hill dessert sold in order to support their efforts to nourish the hungry and train the unemployed.

“Our team is very excited to join this vibrant and growing community,” says co-founder Kevin Finn. “The expanding local craft beer scene in Greenville is something we’re proud to be a part of. We’re thrilled to be able to offer a new place to enjoy delicious beer and food with good friends and look forward to bringing some Southern hospitality into Iron Hill’s trademark service.”

About Iron Hill

Named after the historic Revolutionary War landmark in Delaware, where General George Washington battled the British, Iron Hill is among the most enduringly successful craft brewers in the United States. Their 21-year consecutive winning streak of winning medals at national and international competitions is the longest by any craft brewery.

Founded by home brewers Kevin Finn, Mark Edelson and restaurateur Kevin Davies in Newark, DE in 1996, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant has blossomed from one restaurant and brewery to 13 locations up and down the East Coast, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and South Carolina. Each brewery/restaurant has their own craft kitchen and scratch brewery, allowing individual chefs and brewers the creativity to pair the freshest ingredients with the highest quality grains and hops. For 21 years, Iron Hill has incorporated beer in everything they do. As a result, Finn, Edelson and Davies are viewed as innovative business leaders in their home state of Delaware and in the Mid-Atlantic region. They started Iron Hill at a time when small breweries were just beginning to gain mass appeal around the country and their entrepreneurial, forward-thinking helped build them into what they are to date. Each individual location has their own head brewer. Each location dedicates itself to the freshest ingredients and friendly atmosphere for all age groups – helping change overall perceptions about brewpubs one meal, one pint, one community at a time.

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Industry data shows craft segment still growing, now to over 6,300 brewing establishments

Continuing the press release sharing this morning, I have one from a couple weeks back from the Brewers Association that you should find interesting, particularly if you're the number-crunching kind.

Small and Independent Brewers See Sustained Growth in 2017

Brewers Association releases new data figures for craft brewers

Boulder, Colo • March 27, 2018—The Brewers Association (BA)—the trade association representing small and independent¹ American craft brewers—today released 2017 data on U.S. craft brewing² growth. With over 6,300 breweries operating during the year, small and independent craft brewers represent 12.7 percent market share by volume of the overall beer industry.

In 2017, craft brewers produced 25.4 million barrels, and saw a 5 percent rise in volume³ on a comparable base and an 8 percent increase in retail dollar value. Retail dollar value was estimated at 26.0 billion, representing 23.4 percent market share. Microbreweries and brewpubs delivered 76 percent of the craft brewer growth. Craft brewing’s growth occurred in the context of a total beer market which dropped 1 percent by volume in 2017.

“Growth for the craft brewing industry is adapting to the new realities of a mature market landscape,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “Beer lovers are trending toward supporting their local small and independent community craft breweries. At the same time, as distribution channels experience increased competition and challenges, craft brewer performance was more mixed than in recent years, with those relying on the broadest distribution facing the most pressure.”

Additionally, in 2017 the number of operating breweries in the U.S. grew 16 percent, totaling 6,372 breweries, broken down as follows: 3,812 microbreweries, 2,252 brewpubs, 202 regional craft breweries and 106 large or otherwise non-craft brewers. Small and independent breweries account for 98 percent of the breweries in operation. Throughout the year, there were 997 new brewery openings and only 165 closings— a closing rate of just 2.6 percent. Combined with already existing and established breweries and brewpubs, craft brewers provided more than 135,000 jobs, an increase of greater than 6,000 from the previous year.

“Beer lovers want to support businesses that align with their values and are having a positive impact on their local communities and our larger society,” added Watson. “That’s what small and independent craft brewers are all about. The ability to seek beers from small and independent producers matters.”

To educate beer lovers about which beers are independently produced, the BA launched the certified independent seal in June 2017. More than 3,100 independent brewers have committed to adopting it.

Notes: Numbers are preliminary.

¹An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

²Absolute figures reflect the dynamic craft brewer data set as specified by the craft brewer definition. Growth numbers are presented on a comparable base. For full methodology, see the Brewers Association website.

³ Volume by craft brewers represent total taxable production.