Someone told me that Labor Day signifies the end of summer. Is this true?
If it’s true, then change is upon us. Changes in season, weather, beer styles, to name a few.
I would like to influence a different kind of change which is directed to the brewing industry.
I want to challenge the attitude among the brewing industry that more craft breweries is bad. Or more politely said “competition is making this hard.”
Everytime I hear a brewery complain about competition, I laugh.
From where I sit, the brewing industry could benefit from every craft brewery that is open, in planning, and thinking about being in planning…..X2.
Why?
Craft Beer remains major underdog among alcoholic beverages. Your luscious liquid is misunderstood, has a foreign taste to the masses, and is still under attack by big beer.
You should be praising the craft brewery that opens in your market, because each additional brewery that opens gets the industry closer to a movement.
Craft beer needs a movement and the only way that a movement builds momentum is with more people participating.
I also forgot to mention….Competition is the backbone of commerce.
All industries require competition to survive.
Without competition:
- We are less likely to grab attention of the consumer
- There is no reason to grow or challenge ourselves.
- Innovation dies
Last year I heard Bart Watson say, in a concerning voice, there are over 6,000 breweries open and another 2,000 in planning.
Music to my ears.
I am really sick of industry leaders and figureheads complaining about competition. It’s a cop-out of epic proportions and needs to stop.
Please do not think I am calling out the Brewers Association for agreeing with this ridiculousness, it’s the acceptable thing to say when you do not know any better.
You can also include to the list every regional and national brewery that in their final quote to Brewbound cited competition as a reason for closure.
It’s easy to beat on competition when things are not going well. Furthermore, competition stings the hardest when the beer could be better, organization/cash flow is a mess and planning is non-existent.
This would be an appropriate time to call out breweries who are giving craft a bad name either through really bad beer or distasteful marketing. Or the brewery who opened with a pot of gold and has every intention on selling.
But I will stop here, I think I have said enough for today.
Fired Up