Examining the Craft Brew Industry (original) (raw)
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Craftwashing in the U.S. beer industry
(1) Background: Big brewers, which have experienced declining sales for their beer brands in the last decade, have been accused of " craftwashing " by some craft brewers and their aficionados—they define craftwashing as big brewers (>6 million barrels per year) taking advantage of the increasing sales of craft beer by emulating these products or by acquiring craft breweries, while also obscuring their ownership from consumers; (2) Methods: To estimate the prevalence of these practices, the ownership of U.S. mainstream and craft beer brands was decoded and visualized. In addition, an exploratory case study analyzed how these ownership relations are represented in the craft sections of selected retailers (n = 16) in the Lansing, Michigan metropolitan area; (3) Results: By October 2017 in the U.S., all but one big brewer had either acquired a craft brewery, or formed a distribution alliance with one—without disclosing these relationships on the packaging. In the study area, 30% of 4-and 6-pack facings recorded in craft beer sections (n = 1145) had ownership ties to big brewers; (4) Conclusions: Craftwashing is common in the U.S. beer industry, and this suggests consumers must exert substantial effort to become aware of their own role in reinforcing these practices.
Non-Alcoholic and Craft Beer Production and Challenges
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Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the world and the third most popular beverage after water and tea. Emerging health-oriented lifestyle trends, demographics, stricter legislation, religious prohibitions, and consumers’ preferences have led to a strong and steady growth of interest for non-alcoholic beers (NABs), low-alcohol beers (LABs), as well for craft beers (CBs). Conventional beer, as the worlds most consumed alcoholic beverage, recently gained more recognition also due to its potential functionality associated with the high content of phenolic antioxidants and low ethanol content. The increasing attention of consumers to health-issues linked to alcohol abuse urges breweries to expand the assortment of conventional beers through novel drinks concepts. The production of these beers employs several techniques that vary in performance, efficiency, and usability. Involved production technologies have been reviewed and evaluated in this paper in terms of efficiency and...
Exploring the Impact of Legislation on the Development of Craft Beer
Beverages, 2017
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the ways in which federal and state legislation has impacted the growth of the US craft beer industry. In order to achieve this purpose, the city of Charlotte in North Carolina (N.C.) will be used as a case study. The research is conceptual in nature, a preferred choice as it allows a researcher to break down the issue into its constituent parts in order to gain a broader understanding. The research demonstrates that the legal framework in place for the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages in the U.S.A., which is a legacy of the Prohibition movement of the last century, continues to have a significant impact on the development of the craft beer industry. The growth in the number of breweries across the U.S.A. has been driven by the craft brewing industry and has provided consumers with a vastly increased array of choices (Burgdorf, 2016). The growth in the craft beer industry has not been proportional across all states, however. While many factors influence the growth of craft breweries (Carroll and Swaminathan, 2000), regulations such as those that restrict how brewers can distribute and retail beer have inhibited growth in many states, limiting consumer choice. The research demonstrates that change can be effected, as it has in N.C., through consumer pressure at the grassroots level. This paper provides an original perspective to the consideration of the growth of this important industry, arguing that future growth in the sector will continue to be impacted by the legislative frameworks in place. This in turn impacts on the ability of entrepreneurs to grow their businesses, and on aspects of consumer choice.
Food Quality and Preference, 2015
The aim of this paper is to study the emerging craft beer industry from a consumer preference perspective. The craft beer industry is one of the growing segments in the beverage industry and its increasing popularity also affects individuals' commercial beer preferences and consumption trends, although no empirical study has yet been carried out in Europe on this topic. Our exploratory study is aimed at comparing the ''purely'' commercial beer consumer profile with that of commercial beer consumers who have already tasted craft beers. It was observed that aroma and perceived quality, as well as the preference for draft beer, drinking beer frequently or by oneself are all factors that explain the propensity of ''purely'' commercial beer drinkers to taste craft beer. It was also found that beer consumers' evaluations of characteristics and brands differed depending on whether they had previously tasted craft beer or not. Moreover, craft beer is chosen according to different flavor preferences compared to commercial beer, it is mainly drunk by frequent beer drinkers in pubs and with family members and it is perceived to be of higher quality than commercial beer due to the raw materials used for brewing and its overall quality. These results can help both new entrepreneurs in the craft beer segment as well as big manufacturing firms in trying to better understand this new consumption trend in order to meet the new needs and preferences of beer consumers.
Bottle Revolution: Constructing Consumer and Producer Identities in the Craft Beer Industry
Research Papers in Economics, 2014
IRLE IRLE WORKING PAPER March 2015 Bottle Revolution: Constructing Consumer and Producer Identities in the Craft Beer Industry Jo-Ellen Pozner, Michaela DeSoucey, and Katarina Sikavica Cite as: Jo-Ellen Pozner, Michaela DeSoucey, and Katarina Sikavica. (2015). “Bottle Revolution: Constructing Consumer and Producer Identities in the Craft Beer Industry”. IRLE Working Paper No. 108-15. http://irle.berkeley.edu/workingpapers/108-15.pdf irle.berkeley.edu/workingpapers
Sustainability in Craft Beer Landscapes of Ontario Canada
Large scale corporations dominate Canadian beer markets, but the industry has seen the growth in recent years of craft producers who both respond to and are responsible for creating a demand for a beverage which is made in smaller quantities and formulated with minimal ingredients. To offer a beer that exhibits greater individuality, these boutique operations often emphasize local sources and embrace contemporary ecological principles to advance the notion of sustainability. Surveys were conducted with consumers who were systematically sampled at several festivals and events that were held in the summer of 2010. Results demonstrate that beer, much like other beverages and foods, appeals to a segment of consumers who value terroir and its implications for distinctiveness, integrity, quality and environmental responsibility. They belong to a discriminating segment that is well educated and highly paid and values the ability of beer to enhance the dining experience. A greater appreciation of this demand will contribute to the efforts to promote culinary tourism, one the fastest growing component of the travel industry. The project demonstrated the benefits of collaboration between academic faculty in the Department of Geography and the School of Hospitality with industry support from industry that brews craft beer in Ontario.
Agents of change: An investigation of how craft breweries educate their consumers.
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Within the last 20 years, the number of breweries in Australia has grown from 11 to almost 150. The new entrants to this market are ‘craft breweries’: small, independent and traditional breweries, which differentiate their products on taste and ingredients. The products they offer are often not ‘standard’ commercial lagers (e.g. VB, Fosters, Budweiser, Heineken, Carlsberg), and many consumers have little knowledge of, and experience with, speciality ales. From a consumer socialisation perspective, this study investigates how craft brewers educate their consumers about their products in the state of Victoria, Australia. Based on in- depth interviews with the business owners, we examine craft brewers as sources of influence – or socialisation agents – within a boutique industry. The results indicate that the craft brewers position themselves as experts and as such may be an important socialisation agent.