All posts by The Beer Professor

Neil Reid is Professor of Geography and Planning and Director of the Jack Ford Urban Affairs Center at the University of Toledo. He studies and writes about the beer industry.

International, Low Alcohol Beer, Trends

Beer for the Modern Adult?

May 13, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

“Beer for the modern adult” – that’s how Bill Shufelt, owner of Athletic Brewing Co. in Statford, CT, describes his brewery’s beer. All of the beer brewed at Athletic is non-alcoholic. While non-alcoholic beer may seem like an oxymoron it, along with its cousin, low-alcohol beer, is trending in the marketplace. And not just in the U.S market, but in overseas markets as diverse and as different as Belgium and China. Before exploring the numbers and reasons behind the growth of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer let’s start with some definitions.

In the United States, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau defines beer as “beer, ale, porter, stout and other similar fermented beverages (including sake and similar products) containing one-half of one percent or more of alcohol by volume, brewed or produced from malt, wholly or in part, or from substitutes for malt.” It is, in my opinion, a quirky definition, but let’s not get into that here. They key point, for present purposes, is that for beer to qualify as beer it has to have an ABV of at least 0.5%. So everything below 0.5% ABV is either non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer. Technically, non-alcoholic beer has an ABV of 0.0%, although the Oxford Companion to Beer notes that, “technically speaking, there is no such thing as non-alcoholic beer because beer contains alcohol by definition”. For the sake of simplicity, and for the purposes of this blog entry, I will use the term low-alcohol beer to refer to all beer under 0.5% ABV, and 0.0% ABV to refer to non-alcoholic beer. One of the challenges I found in researching this piece is that lines between the two are often blurred – so for example the term non-alcoholic beer is sometimes used in such a way that it also includes non-alcoholic beer.

Low-alcohol/non-alcoholic beer is not a new concept, of course. During Prohibition, it was in fact legal to brew beer that contained less than 0.5% alcohol – so-called ‘near beer’. In more contemporary times low alcohol beer has been produced in both the United States and Europe. Those of us who live in the United States are familiar with O’Douls, a low alcohol beer (<0.5% ABV), introduced by Anheuser Busch in 1990. My European friends are probably more familiar with low-alcohol brands such as Kaliber which is brewed by Guinness and St. Pauli N.A., brewed by Beck’s (which is now owned by AB InBev).

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ODouls.jpg — O’Doul’s – A low alcohol beer introduced by Anheuser Busch in 1990

When I was drinking mass-produced beer in the 1990s, low alcohol beer had a bad reputation. It wasn’t so much that it didn’t give you a buzz (it wasn’t meant to after all), but rather that it just didn’t taste all that good. Toady the low alcohol beer market seems to be booming, and those who prefer low-alcohol beers no longer are restricted to an awful tasting product.

Just how popular is low-alcohol beer. Globally, the market for low alcohol beer was $13 billion in 2016; by 2024 it is projected to be $25 billion. And it’s growing popularity seems ubiquitous. In Belgium, in 2018, non- alcoholic lagers and wheat beers experienced a thirty percent market growth. Non-alcoholic and low alcohol beer is also gaining in popularity in China. In 2016, twenty-nine percent of new beers launched were in one of these two categories. Approximately eight percent of the beer produced by AB InBev is low or non-alcoholic. They project that by 2025, that will increase to twenty percent.

The increasing popularity of low and non-alcoholic beer appears driven by the consumers prioritizing healthier lifestyles. Why don’t they drink a healthier non-alcoholic alternative, I hear you ask. It is true that some juices may provide healthy alternatives to beer. They do not, however, deliver the lifestyle image provided by beer. Beer projects a particular lifestyle image; consuming low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beer protects that image, while not compromising an individual’s health.

The recent upsurge in interest in low and non-alcoholic beer has prompted some of the world’s major breweries to launch new products to add to their existing beer portfolios. In January 2019, the world’s second largest brewer, Heineken, will launched a new non-alcoholic beer in the United States – Heineken 0.0 (pronounced zero zero). The new beer, first introduced into Spain in January 2017, is now available in over thirty countries. Heineken 0.0 has only sixty-five calories. It also goes a step further than its low-alcohol cousins, in that it contains zero alcohol. In other words, the ABV is 0.0%. In marketing the new beer, Heineken suggest that people drink it at times when perhaps they would normally not drink beer – such as during an office lunch or after a workout. Other potential markets for non-alcoholic beer include drivers of motor vehicles, pregnant women, people taking medication, athletes, and those who abstain from alcohol for religious and other cultural reasons. Studies in Europe also show that avoiding a hangover and keeping in control are factors driving demand for non-alcoholic and low alcohol beer.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Heineken0.0.jpg — Heineken Zero Zero was recently introduced into a number of markets, including the United States

The growing demand for non-alcoholic and low alcohol beer is part of broader taste shifts impacting the alcohol industry. According to CNBC reporter Angelica LaVito, “consumers are increasingly shunning beer and instead drinking wine, spirits and hard seltzers, which they perceive as healthier than beer.” The shift away from beer and towards wine can be clearly seen in the two graphics below. In the first graphic you can observe the general decrease in per capita alcohol consumption, particularly beer, in the United States in the post-1980 period. The second graphic shows that in 1993, 47% of American who drank alcohol stated that beer was their preferred alcohol of choice. This compared to 27% preferring wine and 21% preferring liquor. By 2017, the percentage preferring beer had fallen to 40%, while the percentage preferring wine and liquor had risen to 30% and 26% respectively.

This is a trend that is also occurring in other countries. A recent article on the BBC website was titled, “Under-25s turning their backs on alcohol, study suggests”. The article reported on new research at University College London which found that the percentage of 16-24 year olds who do not consume alcohol increased from 18% in 2005 to 29% percent in 2015. In Belgium, a recent survey revealed that sixty-two percent of Belgians felt that they consumed too much alcohol.

In the United States, we have observed the growing popularity of so-called session beers – beers that are less than 5% ABV. A 2016 survey by Nielsen and CGA Strategy found that 45% of craft beer drinkers prefer session over beers with a higher ABV. Of the twenty-five fastest growing craft beer brands in 2016, thirteen were session beers. Almost every craft brewery produce session beers. Many have went to great efforts to ensure that from a taste perspective that they are an acceptable alternative to higher ABV beers. Thornbridge Brewery in Bakewell, U.K. disposed of four batches (sixty thousand bottles) of beer in their quest for a palatable low-alcohol beer. The end result was their Big Easy, a very drinkable Pale Ale with an ABV of only 0.5%. Athletic Brewing Co. of Stratford, CT is a craft brewery that produces only non-alcoholic beer. Athletic Brewing’s flagship beers are an IPA and a Golden Ale, while season offerings include an Autumn Brown Ale and a Harvest IPA. Crafting a non-alcoholic beer that did not compromise on flavor was a challenge for Athletic’s owner Bill Shufelt. It meant producing over one hundred test batches on home brewing equipment, before he was satisfied.

Market signals clearly demonstrate growing consumer demand for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer. This shift in consumer preferences impacts every brewery, from the smallest microbrewery to the largest multinational. And they are clearly responding, witness the seemingly growing number of non-alcoholic and low alcohol beers that are now available. Furthermore, breweries are working very diligently to ensure that those who choose non-alcoholic and low alcohol beers are not being compromised when it comes to taste. And it seems to be resonating with some consumers. Thirty-one percent of Germans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four 18-24 agreed that non-alcoholic and low alcohol beer tastes just as good as ‘regular’ beer. More and more, we are seeing beer writers helping consumers navigate the increasingly crowded low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beer market by tasting and rating the various offerings.

The Geography of Beer and Brewing

May 2, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

During the semester that has just ended at The University of Toledo, I taught a course titled, The Geography of Beer and Brewing. This was a course for graduate students. Eight students enrolled in the class – six doctoral students and two Masters students. Being a graduate level class, it was reading and discussion intensive with one student responsible for leading the discussion each week. Students had to read four to five scholarly papers each week, and come to class prepared to discuss and debate them. The topics covered in the class were wide ranging and included the historical evolution of the brewing industry, craft breweries and neighborhood change, beer and the law, beer tourism etc. The scholarly literature on the brewing industry is multi-disciplinary. As a result, even though this was a course taught within the Geography and Planning Department, students were exposed to a wide range of disciplinary perspectives on the industry – geography, economics, anthropology, business history, law etc. The mix of students in the class was also very gratifying. There were two female students, one African American student (female), and at least two Muslim students (from Bangladesh). This mix made for fascinating discussions; discussions that were undoubtedly richer because of the diversity of voices around the table.

As part of their course assessment, students had to write a five thousand word term paper. I have just completed reading them and I have to say that I really enjoyed doing so. Here are the titles of the term papers that I read:

Market Overview of Non-alcoholic Beer: Prospects and Constraints
Thai Microbrewing Tied Down by Policy: Policy Analysis of Thailand’s 2008 Alcohol Beverage Control Act and its Effects on Small-Scale Thai Breweries
Discussing the Relationships between Crime and Craft Beer in Chicago, IL
Beer and Brewing Consumer Preferences : A Look at Preferences of American Drinkers
Geographic Analysis of Ohio Hop Farming and Breweries
Going Out for a Pint: Craft Breweries and Walkability
Izakayas as Third Places in Japan
Limits to Production: A Study on the Relationship Between Craft Brewery Production Volume and Socioeconomics of Urban Areas

Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the papers produced by the students. A few of them, with some work, may even have the potential to be published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. I will be talking with these students over the summer to see if the are interested in pursuing this possibility.

As with any course, the first time that you teach it, you identify changes that you can implement to improve the overall learning experience for students. I plan to teach a new and improved version of the same course in the spring 2020 semester. I am also giving some thought to developing an undergraduate version of the same course. This will, of course, be lecture-based, and so involves developing a semester’s worth of lecture material. I am gradually piecing those lectures together.

I’m not the only person to teach a course on the the geography of beer and brewing in the United States. There are a few others of which I am aware. Sean Crotty teaches a Geography of Beer course at Texas Christian University, while Julie Wartell teaches
Craft Breweries and the Urban Economy at the University of California, San Diego. While a course on the the geography of beer and brewing may be considered a niche or boutique course, there is no question that such a course can help students develop a more nuanced understanding of broader topics and issues such as industrial location theory, industrial organization, changing consumer preferences, neighborhood change, etc.

Bars, Craft Breweries, Neighborhoods

Craft Breweries – A Neighborhood Amenity?

April 21, 2019 The Beer Professor 4 Comments

Along with my colleague, Isabelle Nilsson of the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, I recently published a study that examined the impact of craft breweries on property values in the city of Charlotte, NC. In the study we looked a properties sold between 2002 and 2017 . To summarize our findings, we discovered that the opening of a craft brewery in Charlotte resulted in a 9.8 percent increase in the value of single-family homes and a 3.2 percent increase in the value of condominiums. Interestingly, the opening of a craft brewery had no impact on the value of commercial properties. Charlotte is a fast growing city with a vibrant craft brewing scene – twenty-one craft breweries opened in the city between March 2009 and October 2016.

Our study in the journal Growth and Change analyzed the relationship between craft breweries and property vales in Charlotte, NC

Our explanation for our findings is relatively straightforward. A craft brewery is, for many people, a neighborhood amenity. Imagine it is a warm June evening, and you decide that you would like to pop out for a couple of pints of craft beer. What could be better than being able to walk to the neighborhood craft brewery and doing just that. In a previous blog entry, I suggested that many craft breweries are emerging as a new type of Third Place on the American landscape – community gathering spots where people can go and enjoy a beer and relax, while engaging in conversation with other patrons. Being within walking distance of such places is clearly desirable. Indeed, this is a topic that I am going to talk about next month at the annual meeting of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation.

I will be talking about craft breweries as Third Places at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation

But it’s not just proximity to a craft brewery that raises property values. Previous studies have shown that being near a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe’s, or a Starbucks also results in higher home’s values. It seems clear that people appreciate being able to walk to a nearby craft brewery, coffee shop, or grocery store. Indeed, a recent study by the American Planning Association found that fifty-six percent of Millennials prefer to live in walkable communities. And, as market research has clearly demonstrated, Millennials are the demographic cohort primarily responsible for the growth of craft beer. Walkability seems to valued by large swathes of American society. The same study found that forty-six percent of active Baby Boomers also prefer to live in walkable neighborhoods.

Heist Brewery, one of the breweries contributing to increased property values in Charlotte, NC

This semester I am teaching a graduate course in The Geography of Beer and Brewing at the University of Toledo. Students enrolled in the class have to write a term paper. One of the students is writing her paper on the topic of craft breweries and walkability. Walkability is a simple concept really – how friendly is a neighborhood to those who wish to walk to bars, restaurants, grocery stores etc? The walkability score of my neighborhood is 56 (that’s out of a maximum of 100). This makes it “somewhat walkable”, meaning that some of my errands can be accomplished on foot. You can calculate the walkability of your neighborhood by typing in your home address here. The website Walkscore.com identifies a number of factors that determines a neighborhood’s walkability. These include schools and places of employment being within walking distance for most residents, streets being designed with bicyclists, pedestrians, and public transportation in mind, and the provision of plentiful of public spaces where residents can gather and relax. Bekka, my student is focusing on craft breweries in San Diego, CA and is examining the extent to which they are located in walkable neighborhoods. As I write this, she is still in the middle of analyzing the data that she has gathered. I am curious as to what her findings will show.

Just as living near a craft brewery (or a Whole Foods or a Starbucks) may enhance the value of your home, so does living in a walkable neighborhood more generally. The real estate brokerage company Redfin analyzed the impact of walkability on home prices across fourteen major metropolitan areas in the United States. They found that, on average, increasing the Walk Score by just a single point results in a 0.9% increase in home prices.

A potential concern of living near an establishment where alcohol is served is that it could potentially result in more crime in the neighborhood. And there are some studies that have shown higher crime rates in the immediate neighborhoods surrounding bars. This may not be the case when it comes to craft breweries, however. In a previous post guest-blogger Julie Wartell provided data from Portland, OR which suggested that crime rates are lower in the immediate environs (within fifty feet) of a craft brewery than in the immediate environs of a regular bar. The explanation as to why this might be the case are unclear. However, it may have something to do with both the attitude of both the craft beer drinker and the craft breweries that sell their beer in their on-site taprooms. According to Kris Spaulding of Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids, MI, craft beer is “more about enjoying the craft than getting drunk”. As Fritz Hahn, a writer for the Washington Post, stated, “I’d rather drink beer longer, not get drunk faster”. Brewery Vivant also has a four-drink maximum for its patrons. I am not aware of any scientific studies comparing the drinking preferences and habits of craft beer versus non-craft beer drinkers, but my gut feeling is that the observation of Kris Spaulding is not far off the mark.

Later this year, Isabelle and I (in collaboration with another colleague) hope to expand our analysis of craft breweries and property values to include more cities. At the moment we do not know how many cities we will include in our expanded analysis, or what those cities will be. But I expect that we will include cities in different parts of the country, cities of different sizes, and cities on different socio-economic trajectories (e.g., shrinking versus growing cities). By doing so, we will be able to draw conclusions that are more generalizable. Watch this space!

Craft Breweries Are Good

April 7, 2019 The Beer Professor 1 Comment

Craft Breweries are Good

Good for what you ask? I would say multiple reasons and will outline those in just a moment.

First, I thought I’d give some background on my varied perspective on this topic. Assuming I had four feet, one foot is in the academic world as faculty at a major university (go Tritons!), one foot is in the real world as a crime analyst (not like CSI, think social science), one foot is in the craft beer world as the owner of a brewery mapping company (quick plug for PubQuest), and my last foot is in the crime world (not doing it, studying it!). Accordingly, I read a lot about breweries (and crime) in addition to supporting local, independent breweries wherever I travel (which is often!) as well as speak with many “beer people” on a regular basis.

OK, on to why I (and many others) think breweries are good.

Economics. Of all the scholarly literature (and a good amount of mainstream media), the economic benefits – both actual dollars and economic development are the topics most discussed (including several articles by the Beer Professor). These range from academic articles (e.g. Craft Breweries and Economic Development: Local Geographies of Beer and The value of a craft brewery: On the relationship between craft breweries and property values) to statewide studies such as Maryland Craft Beer: A World Without Limits; from mainstream media publications (e.g. Breweries are the mark of a thriving community and Craft beer’s big impact on small towns and forgotten neighborhoods) to tourism (Beer Tourists: Who are they? as well as see graphic below for the economic impact of this year’s Pliny the Younger release in the two cities in which Russian River Brewing has locations). And there are many more of these types of articles and reports from around the country!

The economic impact of the release of Pliny the Younger

When you think of Main Street, what comes to mind? Thriving downtowns or used-to-be-but-now-highly-vacant-or-rundown? Breweries have helped convert the latter types of downtowns in small towns and big cities across the country. There are currently almost 500 brewery locations in the U.S. with a street address of “Main” with another dozen in planning. That doesn’t count all of the breweries that have moved into city and town centers that are on a different street name (someone needs to figure out how to capture this!).

2. Community. I recently presented alongside one of the owners of Border X Brewing, a wonderful San Diego brewery (also just opened in Bell, CA – find that one on a map!), and he related their experience with moving into one of the more historically depressed neighborhoods. When someone asked him about gentrification, he explained how they made extra effort to work with the existing businesses and neighbors, the last thing they wanted was to displace locals. The photo below captures the tasting room at Border X where all the artwork is done by local artists and is of local people and places.

The Tasting Room of Border X Brewing in San Diego, CA

The example above is one of many that reveal craft breweries’ commitment to their communities. Whether it’s in the local newspaper, a beer blog or a social media post, there is a constant stream of discussion around efforts that are being made by breweries to welcome families, neighbors and strangers from afar into the brewery space. Many of the breweries work closely with local non-profits, sponsor runs or yoga and create an atmosphere that says “come hang out here, we are integral to this community.” The graphic below, from the website of Hops & Grain Brewery in Austin, TX, speaks to this very issue.

Community involvement is important for Hops & Grain Brewery in Austin, TX

3. Not Crime Generators. There are numerous studies available on the topic of crime and bars as well as the relationship between alcohol and crime, but there are no peer-reviewed studies about crime and breweries as a unique type of “bar.” A few years ago, I did a small study in Portland (OR), nationally known for their craft beer. While this hasn’t been published, the preliminary analysis reveals that breweries have a much lower level of police calls for service (a more accurate measure than typical crime stats due to calls for noise, litter, disturbances and the like that often are not included in official crime stats). Breweries (without liquor) had on average 1.7 calls within 50 feet of the location for the year, whereas bars (with liquor) had on average of 5.5 calls. A graphic below provides another way to look at these stats.

Craft Breweries, not selling liquor, had the lowest number of police calls than other establishments serving alcohol

Why do breweries generate less crime/police calls? There are a number of hypotheses about this including: clientele demographics; cost of craft beer; closing time (often before midnight); owners caring about the neighborhood (see above); family-friendly (who wants to get drunk with a bunch of babies?!); and no liquor. We definitely need more research on this topic (that means visiting breweries, right?), and I am working on that with several colleagues.

What are breweries doing to keep crime under control? You probably have not heard the concept of Situational Crime Prevention (unless you’re one of my colleagues in the crime world), but breweries are using many of these techniques without even knowing it. Some examples in the graphics below include the technique of “remove excuses – alert conscience” and “remove excuses – assist compliance” (the latter being smaller pours and limits on higher alcohol beers). Other techniques such as “increase the effort – control access to facilities” is done by limiting buses and large groups as well as “increase the risks – extend guardianship” by turning a vacant place into a neighborhood gathering location where people are looking out for the space. Another great example is the City of Vista (CA) government works closely with the Vista Brewers Guild to stay on top of crime and policing issues generated by breweries. This collaborative approach of using data and tackling problems before they get out of control has been beneficial to the City, the breweries and the safety of the community.

Some craft breweries remind patrons to be mindful of their neighbors and to keep noise and litter to a minimum

4. Tasty Libations. Do I need to say more? Different people support craft breweries for different reasons, but one thing in common is that most (although generally not the babies or the dogs) are going there to enjoy a nice beer. Having more options to enjoy local, craft beers at the source (see graphic below from the Brewers Association about the increase in craft breweries, especially over the last decade), allows friends, family and strangers to come together to taste this variety. Also in the U.S., we are now seeing more breweries that offer gluten-free, “session” (lower alcohol), and fruit and pastry-style beers to reach an even wider range of consumers.

Has this made you thirsty and eager to support your local brewery? Don’t forget, you can find them all on an interactive map on PubQuest. Cheers!

This blog entry was written by guest blogger, Julie Wartell, Julie is a Continuing Lecturer in the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of California, San Diego and an independent advisor to governmental agencies and communities relating to analyzing crime problems, neighborhood safety, and the geography of breweries. Julie currently teaches “Geographic Information Systems for Urban and Community Planning” and “Craft Breweries and the Urban Economy,” and her research, training and writing has been used in communities around the world. Julie has a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in criminal justice administration from San Diego State University as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Criminology and Police Management from University of Cambridge. In her spare time, Julie also runs PubQuest, a brewery mapping company.

Hops

Wisconsin Hop Seminar

March 17, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

I was in Hillsboro, WI last month.. I was there to participate in the 10th Annual Wisconsin Hop Seminar. The seminar, which brings together craft brewers, hop growers, and university researchers was held at the Hillsboro Brewing Company. My role at the seminar was to give the keynote address on the impact of craft brewing on the American hop industry. Hops is a subject that I have written about in previous blog entries, which you can read here, here, and here.

Hillsboro is a ninety-minute drive north of Madison. I flew into Madison, where I spent the night, before driving with my colleague and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor, Steve Deller, to Hillsboro. Hillsboro is a town of just over 1,400 people, located in west-central Wisconsin. It is known as the “Czech capital” of Wisconsin. While the earliest immigrants arriving in Hillsboro came from Germany, the Czechs started to arrive in the mid-1800s. Attracted by a landscape that reminded them of home, the Czechs brought with them their culture, food, and traditions. Today, the town’s Czech heritage is celebrated with the annual Cesky Den Festival.

Hillsboro Brewing Company is owned by the husband and wife team of Snapper and Kim Verbsky. Hillsboro is a relatively new brewery, only being established in 2014. In 2018, the brewery’s success (production went from ~350 barrels in 2017 to ~1,000 barrels in 2018) meant that it had to relocate to a larger facility and it is now housed in a 28,000 square foot building, that was formerly home to a Carnation Milk plant. This is where the hop seminar took place.

I must admit I was impressed with what Kim and Snapper were doing with their new brewing facility. It is a two-level building. The upper level is in the process of being renovated to house an event space. Wedding receptions will be a primary target market for this space. As I walked around the soon-to-be event space, I thought about the fact that there are only a little over 1,400 folks who live in town. This is clearly a space designed to attract out-of-towners. That thought also made me consider the brewery’s capacity to attract beer tourists.

The upper level of Hillsboro Brewery is being renovated and, when complete, will be rented out as event space.

Brewing occurs on the ground level of the brewery. Hillsboro produced approximately a thousand barrels of beer in 2018. It has the space to grow its brewing capacity, should the need arise. What particularly impressed me was that the owners clearly had respect for their building’s history. On display, there is a collage with old newspaper articles and photographs highlighting the building’s former life as a Carnation milk facility. I like it when brewery owners have an appreciation for and celebrate their building’s history. At Hillsboro, they also brew a beer that recognizes the building’s heritage. Contented Cow is a Milk Stout. In 1907, the founder of Carnation, E. A. Stuart introduced the phrase, “Carnation condensed milk, the milk from contented cows.” I sampled Contented Cow while at Hillsboro, and have to say that I really enjoyed it.

Collage highlighting the building’s history as a Carnation milk facility

A photograph of the building when it was a milk facility

There were approximately fifty in attendance at the seminar. The vast majority were hop farmers. There were a couple of brewers in attendance, including Dan Carey, co-owner and brewmaster of the legendary New Glarus Brewing Company. Dan was also one of the seminar’s speakers. My presentation focused on how the growth of craft brewing was impacting the hop industry. Among other things, craft breweries have created a demand for locally-grown hops.

The Program for the 10th Annual Wisconsin Hop Seminar

My presentation at the Wisconsin Hop Seminar

In preparing for my presentation I discovered quite a few things about the Wisconsin hop industry, including its history. During the second half of the eighteen-century, Wisconsin emerged as a major center of hop production. Production peaked in 1870, when the state produced approximately five million pounds of hops (Figure 1). The center of Wisconsin’s hop production was Sauk County, in the southwestern part of the state. I passed through Sauk County on the drive from Madison to Hillsboro. Hops first started to be grown in Sauk County in 1842. The rainfall and good drainage made Sauk County and ideal location for growing hops. Wisconsin’s reign as an important center of hop production did not last long, however. By 1880, annual production in the state had decreased to two million pounds. Production continued to fall and by the turn of the century very few hops were grown in the state (Figure 1).

In recent years hop farming has returned to Wisconsin. Most of the demand for Wisconsin hops come from Wisconsin craft breweries. There are over one hundred and sixty craft breweries in the state, and a growing number of them are using Wisconsin grown hops as an ingredient in some of their beers. As noted by Erika Janik in an article in Edible Milwaukee, “interest in local ingredients for local craft beer is driving a resurgence in the cultivation of hops and barley for brewing in Wisconsin.” According to the Hop Growers of America, in 2018 there were 297 acres of hops harvested in Wisconsin. This placed Wisconsin sixth in the country, behind Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Michigan, and New York. There are a lot of challenges associated with growing hops outside of the Pacific Northwest. There are the initial start-up costs, which can run ~$10,000 per acre. In addition, there are harvesting and post-harvesting processing costs; the latter include the costs of drying, pelletizing, storage etc. For small hop farms, as most start-ups are, achieving critical economies of scale is close to impossible. This make it difficult to compete on price with growers from the Pacific Northwest, particularly when it comes to the more common varieties of hops. Hop farmers in states such as Wisconsin have to figure out which hops will give them a competitive edge. In the long-term this might mean developing hop strains that are unique to the region, or by leveraging the concept of terroir; the idea that local Wisconsin hops provide unique flavors and aromas that are influenced by local soil and climate. Wisconsin hop growers may also be able to capitalize on the geographic proximity they enjoy viz-viz Wisconsin breweries – this proximity allows breweries to receive whole-cone hops that are delivered within hours of being harvested. Upon arrival at the brewery, these so-called ‘wet hops’ can be incorporated immediately into the brewing process. Wet-hop beers allow you to experience the true hop flavor the hop and have been described as “mellow, delicate, and freshly vibrant”. By definition, wet-hop beers are only available during the harvest season, which generally falls in August and September.

The hop farmers that I met and chatted with in Hillsboro were an impressive group. It is clear that they are passionate about hops. All are new to the industry, but are keen to learn, and are determined to become successful hop farmers.

Flagship February

March 12, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

February has come and gone, and with it the inaugural Flagship February. Conceived by Canadian beer writer, Stephen Beaumont, the idea was simple enough – spend the month of February rediscovering and drinking the beers upon which breweries made their reputation – their so-called flagship beers. I must admit that I did not make any conscious effort to drink flagship beers throughout the month – maybe I will next year – but I did enjoy a few such brews during the twenty-eight days of February.

But before getting to the February flagships that I consumed, let’s think about what defines a flagship beer. In other words, what qualifies a beer as a flagship beer? The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines flagship as “the finest, largest, or most important one of a group of things”. So for a brewery, its flagship beer would be the one that the brewer considers to be his or her finest, or it could be the brewery’s best selling beer. To investigate this further I did an internet search and came across this page on the Beeradvocate.com website; where a number of brewers were asked to articulate their understanding of the term “flagship beer”. You can read the answers at the link above, but let me share a sample of them below.

According to Peter Egelston of Smuttynose Brewing Company in Hampton, NH, a brewery’s flagship beer “doesn’t necessarily have to be the biggest seller, but rather is the beer that best defines those qualities that a brewer wishes to be associated with. It is the one that embodies the culture and aspirations of a brewery, as opposed to being a brand that merely pays the bills”. For some breweries, however, paying the bills is key to identifying a flagship beer. For Jim Killeen of the now out-of-business Nutfield Brewing Company of Derry, NH their flagship beer was Nutfield Old Man Ale, for no other reason than it was the brewery’s best seller, accounting for two-thirds of its sales.

For some breweries, year-round availability is a key characteristic of a flagship beer. For example, David Wollner of Willimantic Brewing Co. in Williamantic, CT noted that Certified Gold is their “flagship because we always try to have it on tap. All of our other beers rotate throughout the year.” Finally, some breweries have more than one flagship beer. This is the case for Victory Brewing Company of Downington, PA. Brewer Bill Covaleski notes that Victory has four flagship brands, all of which are available throughout the year.

So the definition of ‘flagship beer’ varies from brewery to brewery. As I reflect on the beers that I enjoyed during the month of February, some were clearly flagships, with at least two of them being what I would term ‘iconic flagship’ beers. These are Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Anchor Steam, from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Anchor Brewing Company respectively. Every craft beer drinker in the United States is surely familiar with these beers. Indeed, in an article about flagship beers in the Post Bulletin (a Rochester, MN newspaper), Josh Noel suggests that Sierra Nevada is “light-years ahead of its time and arguably the most important American beer of the past 50 years.”

Two other flagship beers, not available nationally, that I had in February are Trumer Pils from Trumer Brewery in Berkeley, CA and Spotted Cow from New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, WI. The Trumer Brewery in Berkeley was established in 2004 as a sister brewery to the Trumer Brauerei in Salzburg, Austria. Trumer Pils is the only beer brewed at the brewery – so it has to be its flagship, right? It is one of my all-time favorite pilsners. Despite not distributing their beers outside of Wisconsin, New Glarus Brewing Company are the sixteenth largest craft brewery in the United States. Spotted Cow is New Glarus’s best known and best selling beer. When I flew home from Madison, WI last month, I didn’t check a bag. This meant, of course, I could not bring any beer home with me. Fear not, for there they were, at one of the gift shops in the Dane County Airport – twelve packs of Spotted Cow.

The four beers mentioned above are undoubtedly flagship beers. Others that I had that may be considered flagship beers include Mallet Session IPA from Trade Brewing in Napa, CA. The beer is brewed year-round. Also on that list is Leaping Lemur Cream Ale, which Hillsboro Brewing Company of Hillsboro, WI identify on their website as one of three flagship beers. Likewise, South Shore Brewing Company of Washburn, WI list their WPA:Wisconsin Pale Ale as one of five flagship beers.

WPA:Wisconsin Pale Ale from South Shore Brewing Company

Finally, while having dinner at Celadon in Napa, CA last month, I noticed, on the menu, Arctic Pale Ale from Einstok Beer Company in Akureyri, Iceland. I’d never had any Icelandic beer before, so I ordered it. I am glad I did. As I researched it later, I learned that Arctic Pale Ale is part of Einstok’s “core portfolio” of beers.

Arctic Pale Ale, one of Einstock Beer Co’s flagship beers

Of the eight flagship beers I enjoyed during Flagship February, seven were consumed in the state in which they were brewed (the exception being Einstok’s Arctic Pale Ale). Two were actually consumed at the brewery where they were brewed – Anchor Steam at Anchor Brewery and Leaping Lemur Cream Ale at Hillsboro Brewing Co.

As February drew to a close, a story about a new brew from Smartmouth Brewing Company in Norfolk, VA started to appear on my newsfeed. The beer is called Saturday Morning and is an IPA brewed with toasted marshmallows and cereal marshmallows. It was inspired by Lucky Charms breakfast cereal. Now I have no objection to brewers utilizing unsusal and non-traditional ingredients in their recipes. In fact, I think that beers brewed with such ingredients make the world of craft beer more interesting, and they certainly create buzz and get people talking. For breweries producing such a beer, it can generate some media coverage and get a brewery’s name out there. I, for example, had never heard of Smartmouth Brewing before they hit the news over the last few weeks – but I now know who they are. But I doubt such beers will ever attain Flagship status.

As I reflect on the concept behind Flagship February, I have to say that I think it’s a good idea. While I drink my fair share of flagship beers throughout the year, it was good to have an entire month focused on beers which, in my opinion, play a critical role in the world of craft beer.

Beer Tourism, Breweries, History

A Pilgrimage to Anchor Brewing

March 1, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

I was in Napa, CA recently. To get to Napa, we (me, my wife, youngest daughter, and son-in-law) flew into San Francisco, CA, rented a car, and drove north. On our return trip home we decided to spend a day in San Francisco before catching our flight the next morning. When we knew that we were going to spend some time in San Francisco, I had one destination in mind – Anchor Brewing.

Any craft beer drinker worth his or her salt knows of Anchor Brewing. It’s status among American craft breweries is legendary and iconic. For those of you unfamiliar with its story and historic significance, here is the CliffNotes version.

In 1871, Gottlieb Brekle, a German immigrant purchased an old beer and billiards saloon on San Francisco’s Pacific Street. He transformed it into a brewery. It was not called Anchor back then. The Anchor name did not materialize until 1896 when, another German brewer, Ernst F. Baruth and his son-in-law, Otto Schinkel, Jr., purchased the brewery and called it Anchor. In the years that followed, Anchor Brewing faced and overcame a number of challenges. In 1906 the brewery was destroyed by a devastating fire; the fire being the result of the great San Francisco earthquake. A new Anchor Brewery was built, on Market Street. In 1920, Prohibition arrived. Unlike many breweries across the country, Anchor opted not to produce alternative products (e.g., ice cream or soft drinks) during Prohibition. The brewery sat idle. In 1934, Anchor Brewery suffered another fire. Once again, a replacement brewery was constructed; this one being only a few blocks from Anchor’s present-day location. In 1959, Anchor Brewery was shut for a brief period by its then owners, Joe Allen and Joe Krause. In 1960, the brewery was as purchased and reopened by Lawrence Steese. But these proved challenging times for a small brewery like Anchor. Mass produced lighter lagers were growing in popularity, and Anchor struggled to retain accounts and maintain sales. By 1965, Steese was ready to close down Anchor Brewing. Enter stage left, Fritz Maytag.

Fritz Maytag is the great-grandson of Fred Maytag, founder of the Maytag Corporation. Fritz was a big fan of the beer brewed at Anchor Brewery. So when he heard that it was going to close, he decided to do something about it; he purchased a fifty-one percent share in the brewery. With that single act, and the subsequent success of Anchor Brewery, Maytag has become known to many as the “Godfather” of craft beer. Maytag revitalized the brewery. Both its portfolio and sales of beer expanded. Such was Anchor’s success that by the late-1970s, they were looking for a new production facility. In 1979, the moved into their current home on Mariposa Street. The building, had started life as a coffee roasters in 1937. In 2010 Maytag retired, selling the brewery to Keith Greggor and Tony Foglio. In 2017, Anchor Brewing was sold to the Japanese brewing giant Sapporo. The purchase price was a reported eighty-five million dollars.

Maytag’s influence on craft brewing extended well beyond what he achieved at Anchor. Maytag assisted other prospective craft brewers and was thus instrumental in assisting the broader growth of the fledgling craft brewing industry. In a 2015 paper, published in the Journal of Wine Economics, Kenneth G. Elzinga, Carol Horton Tremblay, and Victor J. Tremblay, observe that “many early entrants clustered near Anchor Brewing to learn the art of craft brewing from Maytag . . . several of the pioneers in craft brewing were in geographic proximity to Maytag’s operation, visited his facility, and learned (and received encouragement) from him.”

Anchor offers guided tours of its brewery, so we signed up for one. The cost was $25 per person. We arrived at the brewery several hours before our tour time. This gave us time to have lunch. We found a couple of lunch options within walking distance of the brewery, and decided upon Dos Piñas Taqueria. As I was standing in line waiting to order our food, I noticed a poster on the wall that stated, “We support Anchor Steam Workers”. Six days prior to our tour of the brewery, the members of a worker’s organizing committee had delivered a letter to the Anchor management requesting that they formally recognize an employees’ union.

Poster supporting Anchor Brewery workers at Dos Piñas Taqueria

Following lunch we headed over to Anchor Public Taps, the taproom across the street from the main production brewery. In addition to being a taproom, Anchor Public Taps is a pilot brewery, where a number of small batch beers are produced. These are available exclusively for sale in the taproom. I opted for Dank Denali, a session IPA.

Anchor Public Taps is across the street from the main Anchor Brewery.

Anchor Public Taps includes a pilot brewery, whose beers are exclusively available at the taproom

After Anchor Public Taps, it was time for our tour of the main production brewery. After entering the brewery we were greeted at the brewery’s bar by what would be our friendly and highly informative tour guide, Pedro. Pedro provided us with a history of Anchor Brewery and a sample of the brewery’s signature product, Anchor Steam. First brewed in 1896, Anchor Steam is widely recognized today as an iconic American beer. After an overview of Anchor’s history, Pedro offered us another beer (I opted for their Anchor Porter) and, with brew in hand, we started our tour of the brewery. The tour was, in many ways, a typical brewery tour. We learned about the brewing process and saw where the magic happened. Buy this was not a typical brewery. This was an iconic brewery, and the building for me constituted something of a sacred space. It was not the original space occupied by Anchor. Nor was it the original space purchased by Fritz Maytag. But it was a space that Anchor now occupied. It was a space that represented and symbolized a revolutuon; a revolution in which ordinary beer drinkers stood up and declared, with a certain conviction, that ‘we can do better’. And it was a conviction upon which many acted, witness the seven thousand plus breweries that dot the American landscape today.

Our highly likeable and informative tour guide, Pedro, tells us about the history of the brewery

Fritz Maytag and Anchor Brewery have an important place in American craft brewing history

Pedro telling us about the brewing process

Northern Brewer hops – the only hop used in Anchor Steam beer

Beer Tourism, Craft Breweries, Events

The Napa Beer Mile

February 15, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Although producing only 0.4% of the world’s wine, California’s Napa Valley is on almost everyone’s list of the world’s must-visit wine destinations. I enjoy visiting wineries. But truth be told, I’d rather visit breweries. So when I was doing some research for an upcoming trip to Napa, I was pleased to learn that beer has very successfully infiltrated wine country. A May 2018 article entitled Napa Valley’s Blossoming Beer Scene listed ten breweries in the valley, six of which were located in the city of Napa, where I would be staying. As I was researching the Napa beer scene, I discovered that my early-February visit would coincide with the inaugural Napa Beer Mile. I was particularly excited to discover that the Napa Beer Mile was not a traditional beer mile, which requires consuming a twelve ounce beer, followed by a one mile run, which is punctuated every quarter mile to consume another twelve ounces of beer. This has become a serious sport of sorts. The current beer mile world record holder is is Corey Bellemore, a Canadian who has completed four quarter-mile laps and consumed four beers in 4 minutes, 33.6 seconds. I was excited to learn that the Napa Beer Mile would involve no such exertions, requiring nothing more than visiting six breweries over an eight hour period and downing a beer at each. I feel that I could achieve that, even though the distance separating the two outlying breweries (St Clair Brown Winery & Brewery and Tannery Bend Beerworks) was 1.7 miles. The four remaining breweries were geographically clustered in a small section of downtown Napa.

Six breweries partipated in the Napa Beer Mile – St. Clair Brown Winery & Brewery, Trade Brewing, Napa Palisades Beer Company, Downtown Joe’s Brewery and Restaurant, Stone Brewing Napa, and Tannery Bend Beerworks. A ticket to participate in the Beer Mile cost $35, and provided you with discounted beer at each of the six breweries, as well as a commemorative ball cap for those visiting all six breweries. The event ran from noon until 8pm, on February 9. My son-in-law, Marrek, accompanied me on my tour of Napa breweries. Our “mile” started at St Clair Brown Winery & Brewery, where participants were required to check-in and pick up their passport card, which would be stamped at each of the six participating breweries.

Check in for the Napa Beer Mile was at St Clair Brown Winery & Brewery

In line for my first beer at St Clair Brown Winery & Brewery

Beer Milers enjoying a beer at the start of the Beer Mile at St Clair Brown Winery & Brewery

After St Clair Brown we visited the remaining five breweries in the following order – Napa Palisades Beer Company, Trade Brewing, Downtown Joe’s Brewery and Restaurant, Stone Brewing, and Tannery Bend Beerworks. It rained periodically during the afternoon, and an Uber was required to to get to our final stop, Tannery Bend.

Overall, the Beer Mile was a fun experience. As expected, each brewery was quite different, with their unique line up of beers and unique ambience. We met and chatted with other Beer Milers along the way, most of whom were from the local area. This did get me thinking that the city of Napa May consider promotimg the Beer Mile to individuals living outside the city and region. Beer Tourism is a rapidly emerging phenomena, and the opportunity to promote the Beer Mile to potential beer tourists is one that should be acted upon. At our third stop, Trade Brewing, there was a Beer-It-Forward board on the wall. The idea of Beer-It-Forward is simple – you pre-purchase a craft beer for a friend. His or her name is placed on a board in the brewery. Next time they walk into the brewery they see their name on the board and can sit down and enjoy the beer that has already been purchased for them. As I perused the Beer-It-Forward Board at Trade Brewing, I was particularly pleased to see that some customers had pre-paid for beers for any police officer, fire fighter, or member (active or reserve) of the military. What a great gesture.

Upon completion of the Beer Mile at Tannery Bend Beerworks, we collected our Napa Beer Mile ballcaps. My hat will be added to my collection of brewery ballcaps. The hats did prove an attraction to a number of Beer Mile participants. In one brewery we did overhear someone saying that they were only doing the Beer Mile to get the ballcap. In another brewery, we sat next to three Beer Mile participants and watched them order three Coors Light. I am guessing they were there for the hat and not the beer.

Craft Breweries, Neolocalism

My Dogfish Head T-Shirt

January 30, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

In my last blog entry, I examined my collection of fifteen brewery t-shirts and looked at where they were made. Of the fifteen, three were made in the United States and twelve were made in Latin America. The t-shirts made in the United States were from Earnest Brew Works in Toledo, OH, Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, OH, and Dogfish Head in Milton, DE. As I did more research into the companies that manufactured these particular t-shirts, it was the one from Dogfish Head that really caught my attention.

Dogfish Head is a brewery that I really admire. Established in Rehoboth Beach, DE in 1995, it was, at that time, America’s smallest commercial brewpub. Under the leadership of its charismatic, Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head has went from strength to strength, and by 2017 was the twelfth largest craft brewery in the United States. Over the last two decades, Calagione and Dogfish Head have been at the forefront of creativity and innovation. It was the first brewery to produce a continuously hopped IPA (their iconic 90 Minute IPA). It’s Ancient Ales Program has seen it work with molecular archeologist Dr. Patrick McGovern to recreate and reproduce beers from ancient Turkey, China, Egypt, and a number of far away places and epochs. And just this week, Dogfish Head realeased Slighty Mighty, a low calorie IPA that rivals Michelob Ultra for calories and carbs (95 calories and 3.5 carbs), and “doesn’t taste like seltzer water”.

I have never visited Dogfish Head’s flagship brewery, which is located in Milton, DE, but my oldest daughter has. And when she did, she bought me the aforementioned t-shirt. The t-shirt is manufactured by TS Designs, who are based in Burlington, NC. According to the company’s website, its t-shirts “are made from conventionally grown North Carolina cotton and you can track them through the entire supply chain back to the farmer. You can even meet the farmer yourself during our annual Cotton Harvest Tour.”

My Dogfish Head t-shirt uses 100% North Carolina grown cotton

Tracking my Dogfish Head t-shirt through the entire supply chain back to the farmer sounded intriguing – it certainly appealed to the economic geographer in me. According to theTS Designs website, tracking my t-shirt’s supply chain required going to the website whereyourclothing.com, where it states:

“not only are all of our t-shirts made entirely in the United States, they have completely transparent supply chains. And when we say completely transparent, we mean it! Not only do we give you the location, but a name, photo, address, and even phone number for each member of the supply chain, from dirt to shirt.”

To learn about the supply chain in my Dogfish Head t-shirt, it was simply a case of entering a tracking code. Tracking codes are either printed on the neck label or derived from the colors of the thread sown into the t-shirts arm hem and tail hem. In the case of my Dogfish Head t-shirt, the hems of the sleeves and tail had colored thread sown into them –

Tracking codes for my Dogfish Head t-shirt were derived from the color of the thread inside the hem of the t-shirt’s sleeves and tail.

As I soon learned, my Dogfish Head t-shirt started its life on the cotton farm of Thurman Burleson & Sons Farm in Wadesboro, NC. From there is passed through the hands of eight other companies. These included a cotton gin, yarn spinners, fabric knitters, fabric finishers, and cutters/sewers, before ending up at the print and dye facility of TS Designs in Burlington. All ten of the plants involved in the making of my t-shirt are located in North Carolina and South Carolina. Information about each participant in my t-shirt’s supply chain is provided on the whereyourclothing.com website, and appears after you enter your t-shirt’s tracking information. You can read these descriptions below (for the Dogfish Head t-shirt I own), as well as view the map showing the location of each manufacturer who contributes to the final product.

All ten of the plants that played a part in making my Dogfish Head t-shirt are located in North Carolina

Learning about the supply chain of my Dogfish Head t-shirt was fun, interesting, and informative. I would not want to replicate this search for information for every piece of clothing that I own (even if it were possible). But it was, as I said, informative to do it for one t-shirt. I was only vaguely aware of the various steps involved in producing a t-shirt, and so this educated me on the t-shirt manufacturing process. As someone who teaches Economic Geography, I fully understand the economics behind sourcing t-shirts from cheap labor countries overseas. So I say kudos to Dogfish Head for purchasing and selling t-shirts whose provenance is one hundred percent American.

Craft Breweries, International, Neolocalism

Made in Honduras

January 21, 2019 The Beer Professor Leave a comment

Craft breweries typically have strong connections with their local communities. These connections are manifest in a number of ways. The owners usually live in town. The brewery provides space for activities such as a local yoga club, and several times a year they brew a special beer, part of the profits of which are donated to local charitable causes. In discussing craft breweries, George Homewood, Norfolk, Virginia’s director of planning and community development, notes:

“there is a different food truck outside nightly. Depending upon the brewery, there may be yoga on Sundays, trivia on Wednesdays, retro video games on Thursdays, and music on Saturdays as well as neighborhood block parties, a monthly pet adoption day or a free community meal.”

Regardless of where we live, all of us know local breweries who support their communities in these types of way. Some breweries are so proud of their local community that they name beers after local landmarks, historical figures, or important events in the community’s past. A growing number of breweries are even trying to source more of their ingredients, particularly hops, from the local region. For some breweries, one of their major contributions to the community is simply to provide a gathering place for locals; a refuge of sorts where neighborhood residents can come, meet up with a few friends, and enjoy a couple of beers.

And craft beer drinkers seem to appreciate this commitment to local communities and are very happy to support the locally-owned brewery, rather than the faceless multinational corporation (e.g., AB InBev or Heineken). There’s even a name or this preference for the local – it’s called “neolocalism”. The geographer, Steven M. Schnell defines neolocalism as a “conscious attempt of individuals and groups to establish, rebuild, and cultivate local ties, local identities, and increasingly, local economies.” Writing specifically about craft breweries, Schnell and his co-author Joseph Reese, stated that craft breweries represent a desire on the part of increasing numbers of people to “reestablish connections with local communities, settings, and economies”.

There is no doubt that buying a locally brewed beer supports a local business. Advocates of purchasing locally produced food are quick to point out the economic, social, and environmental benefits of doing so – keeping more money in the local community, encouraging cultural diversity, preserving genetic diversity etc. On the other hand, economists Jason Winfred and Philip Watson point out buying local conflicts with Ricardo’s two hundred year old principle of comparative advantage. Of course, there is the whole issue of what constitutes “local”, a topic I discussed in a previous blog entry.

Many breweries are rightly proud of the contributions they make to their local communities. And on their websites, they are not hesitant to articulate their community commitment. Crazy Mountain Brewing Company of Denver, CO, for example, state that, “although beer is our passion, one of Crazy Mountain’s core values is our commitment to community involvement”. According to Fairport Brewing Company in Fairport, NY, “our commitment to the local community run deep”, while Roadhouse Brewery of Jackson Hole, WY is “committed to supporting the local community of Jackson Hole”.

I got to thinking about craft breweries and their connections to the local economies the other day, when I was putting away a t-shirt that my oldest daughter had gave me as a Christmas gift. It was a t-shirt from Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, MO. My daughter had been to Boulevard recently, while visiting a friend in Kansas City. I visited Boulevard myself while attending a conference in Kansas City in June of last year. Anyway, as I picked up the t-shirt I looked at the label just inside the collar. I was curious as to where the t-shirt was made. The label said, “Made in Honduras”. That got me wondering – where were all my other brewery t-shirts made? How many were made in the United States? I took each of them from the closet and examined them. Here is what I found:

Bare Arms Brewing, Waco, TX – Nicaragua
Black Cloister Brewing Company, Toledo, OH – Nicaragua
Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, MO – Honduras
Church Brew Works, Pittsburgh, PA – Nicaragua
Dogfish Head, Milton, DE – USA
Earnest Brew Works, Toledo, OH – USA
Elevator Brewing, Columbus, OH – Mexico
Grapevine Brewery, Grapevine, TX – Nicaragua
Kona Brewing Company, Kona, HI – Mexico
Lansing Brewing Company, Lansing, MI – Mexico
Market Garden Brewery, Cleveland, OH – Nicaragua
Maumee Bay Brewing Company, Toledo, OH – Nicaragua
Pike Brewing Company, Seattle, WA – Honduras
Rhinegeist Brewery, Cincinnati, OH – USA
Round Barn Brewery, Baroda, MI – Honduras

First off, I own fifteen t-shirts from breweries. I never knew that. Of the fifteen t-shirts, seven were made in Nicaragua, three in Mexico, three in the United States, and two in Honduras. Now I fully realize that my fifteen t-shirts do not constitute a scientifically valid sample, so I am not going to make any generalizations regarding the larger population of American breweries. Thinking scientifically, I thought that it might be interesting to have a control group. So, I randomly selected fifteen of my non-brewery t-shirts that I had purchased in the United States, and examined their labels. All of them were manufactured in Latin America – five in Mexico, four in Nicaragua, and three each in Honduras and El Salvador. These, albeit non-scientific, findings do hint at the possibility that American craft breweries may be more prone to purchase American made t-shirts than the average retailer.

My t-shirt from Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh, PA was made in Nicaragua

That most of the brewery t-shirts I own are made in Latin American countries did not surprise me. I teach this stuff in my Industrial Geography course at The University of Toledo. By and large, it comes down to labor costs. Manufacturing labor costs are significantly cheaper in Latin America than in the United States. For example, according to IVEMSA, a company that assists U.S. companies interested in establishing manufacturing facilities in Mexico, American manufacturers who locate in Mexico will pay 20-30% less in labor costs. Add to that a forty-eight hour work week (before requiring overtime pay) and the advantages of manufacturing in Mexico soon become apparent.

Three breweries in my non-scientific sample do sell t-shirts manufactured in the United States. They are Dogfish Head in Milton, DE, Earnest Brew Works in Toledo, OH, and Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati, OH. The t-shirts sold by Earnest Brew Works and Rhinegeist Brewery are made by American Apparel, who are based in Los Angeles, CA. The company makes apparel in countries all over the world, including Bangladesh, Honduras, and the United States. Interestingly, one of American Apparel’s commitments is supporting the economies in which they are located. They do this by “using local suppliers for transportation, food services and raw materials and accessories for our production facilities such as dyes, buttons, zippers, boxes and office supplies.” The two American Apparel t-shirts I have were as I mentioned above, made in the USA. The components used to manufacture these two t-shirts came both from the United States and other countries

My t-shirt from Rhinegeist Brewery was made in the USA, with US and imported components

The t-shirt sold by Dogfish Head Brewery is manufactured by a company called TS Designs, who are based in Burlington, NC. Not only are TS Designs’ t-shirts made in North Carolina, the cotton that they are made from is grown in North Carolina.

It would be nice if more breweries who sold t-shirts, baseball caps, wool hats and other souvenir items sourced those from inside the United States. If these items came from inside or close to the community in which they reside it would be another indication that the breweries are committed to supporting their local and/or regional economy.

TheBeerProfessor