If a generation ago American con-
sumers learned how embrace finer wine
with open minds and arms, finer beer’s
wider acceptance is triggering a similar
phenomenon. One noteworthy distinc-
tion: whereas the wine culture thrived via
people reaching out to the corners of the
globe, the beer culture has gained much
of its mojo close to home. In 2011, craft
beers accounted for a record 5.6 percent
of total U.S. beer volume, according to
Charlie Papazian, president of the Den-
ver-based Brewers Association. Papazian,
who is considered the father of the home
brewing and craft beer movements, pre-
dicts confidently that by 2017 craft beer
sales will double.
In practice, though, the “crafting” of
the beer market has already taken root.
While Papazian is actually focusing on
brews best categorized as “local” and/or
“
micro,” marketers and front-line sellers
alike are tuning in to the fact that modern
beer drinkers are embracing beers that are
artisanal, not just brewed in nearby zip
codes. Case in point: Arrowine’s website
presents its selection as “eclectic,” and
changing with the seasons. Spanning
both American microbreweries and
imports, the emphasis is on beers “of
the highest quality made with the best
ingredients”—all served as fresh as
possible thanks to optimal storage and
fast turnover.
Experimentation
and Access Up
Brett Pontoni, corporate beer buyer for
Binny’s, a 28-store group based in Chica-
go, IL, says, “Growing numbers of our cus-
tomers have shifted from mass-produced
domestics. They’re experimenting as nev-
er before. Our three best-sellers are Goose
Island, Sam Adams and New Belgium.”
Pontoni adds he has increased craft beer
case-stacking displays to great effect.
Craig Purser, president of the Nation-
al Beer Wholesalers Association, notes,
“
There was a great deal of sameness among
domestic beer brands; this helped drive
interest in craft beers. What’s more, the
entire farm-to-table trend in the food
and hospitality industries also helped
raise awareness of local and regional craft
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Food Tie-Ins
and Thirst for
New Styles
Drive Record Sales
By david lincoln ross
C
raft beer sales have definitely blown up in the last three
years,” says Nick Anderson, beer buyer at Arrowine & Cheese
in Arlington, VA, not far from the Central Intelligence Agency.
But, happily, there’s nothing covert about the growing appeal
of small-scale beers. Americans not only have discovered the pleasures
of craft-brewed ales, porters, stouts and seasonal beers, but also how
well they go with food.
“
Eataly Birreria photography by Virginia Rollison
New York City’s
Birreria rooftop beer garden
