Do You Drink Beer From Microbreweries?

The beer industry in the USA is rather unfair from the point of view of the microbrewery. With the cooperate giants such as Coors and Budweiser holding around eighty percent of the market share, once you take away the proportion that is actually wines and spirits, this really only leaves around five percent for these struggling microbreweries that are finding it really hard to compete. There is no wonder that they do indeed find it hard to compete; you only have to look at the huge advertising campaigns that these companies have in order to see just why the small companies will always struggle.

However, in a turn of the tables, in the last decade, microbreweries have been making progress and they are indeed gaining in popularity. This is because people like to be more adventurous in their tastes, and this of course means trying a large selection of beers such as some foreign tastes. The corporate giants are known for bland beers.

Microbreweries cannot afford these huge advertising campaigns, but what they can afford is to produce some great tasting, unique beers, and they are a far cry from the weak lagers you see advertised by the large macro beer producers. Of course the microbreweries do not have the ability to produce the beer at low costs, as it is not mass-produced. Unfortunately, the competition between the giants and the small companies is not always as healthy as it should be, and it has been known to get nasty.

In order to successfully sell a small beer, then you need to brew it, distribute it, and then it needs to make it s way to the retailer. The trouble that the small brewer comes across is that it does not have access to the larger distribution networks, as Coors, Miller or Busch, will not transport any beer that is not their own. This market condition makes it hard for the small company to make a go of things, and this does discourage many microbreweries.

Thankfully the beer market is changing, and it is easier these days to be a microbrewer. So, if you are wondering just why the macro beer brands dominate the market, then now you will understand why. But the population of the USA really is starting to appreciate other beers with new and interesting tastes, and gradually there is more and more room on the shelf for these contenders. Next time you go out to buy some beer, stop and think about the process that has allowed the beer to reach the shelf, and perhaps you will decide to support your local microbreweries and sample some new tastes.

Posted in: Drink,Microbreweries