Category Archives: Health

Craft Breweries, Health, Social Drinking

Craft Breweries and Leisure Time Physical Activity

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I recently spent a couple of days in San Diego, CA. This was my third trip to California since November, and my second to San Diego. The purpose of this particular visit was to give a guest lecture in ‘Craft Breweries and the Urban Economy’, a class taught by my good friend and colleague Julie Wartell at the University of California-San Diego, As per usual when I visit Julie in San Diego, we managed to find time to visit couple of breweries.

At one of our brewery stops, Seek Beer Co., we ran into (excuse the pun) a local running group. The Seek Beer Run Club meet every Monday at 6pm. Those who show up participate in a 5k run (or jog or walk) around the North Park neighborhood. Afterwards they meet back at the brewery and enjoy some conversation and a beer or two. This is a run-for-fun group, with inexperienced runners (and non-runners) encouraged to participate. According to the group’s Instagram account, runners get a complimentary post-run beer and discounted beers for the remainder of the evening. Those completing ten runs receive a club t-shirt.

The Seek Beer Run Club meet every Monday evening
Seek Beer Run Club participants enjoy a post-run beer and conversation

While the Seek Beer Run Club appears to be a rather informal, come-as-you-are, group other initiatives are somewhat more ambitious. Take the BrewRunners of Cincinnati, for example. The Ohio group offers both a15-week half marathon training program and a 17-week full marathon training program. Each training group meets twice a week at local breweries, with the goal of having participants run in the Flying Pig half and full marathons in early May. Having said that, the group emphasizes that while they are a running group, they are “mostly a get together and have fun group”. On its website, the group lists ten Cincinnati breweries as social partners.

The Seek Beer Run Club and BrewRunners of Cincinnati are two examples of the intersection between craft beer and what is known as leisure time physical activity (LTPA). Dirk Steinbach and Christine Graf of the German Sport University define LPTA as “all of the behavior connected with physical activity that people engage in in their freely disposable time”.

Others examples abound. Cycling groups that associate themselves with the craft brewing movement are also common. In my city of Toledo, OH Patron Saints Brewery organize Pedals and Pints. Cyclists meet at Patron Saints and bike to another local brewery or bar, where they enjoy some beer before heading back to Patron Saints. Partnering with a locally-owned bike shop, the bi-weekly meet-up is billed as a “casual ride exploring awesome places in and around West Toledo”. On a larger scale, Bikes & Beers organizes bike rides in cities across the country. Each event has 15, 30, and 50 mile cycling routes and a host brewery where the post-ride after-party takes place. There is a registration fee for participating in Bikes & Beers events, but each one benefits a local cycling charity to improve policies, laws, and infrastructure. Again, the emphasis is on fun and is promoted as “a fun way for cyclists of all levels to get out and enjoy the road”.

Participants in the bi-weekly Pedals and Pints program meet at Patron Saints Brewery and bike to another local brewery or bar

Beer yoga is also a common activity associated with breweries. Within minutes, a brewery taproom or other space within the brewery can be quickly transformed into a temporary yoga studio. The branding associated with beer yoga is particularly clever with names such as Bendy Brewski Yoga, Downward-facing Drafts, and Bottoms Up! Yoga. Then there’s Yoga and a Pint, a name that really cuts to the chase.

So what motivates people to participate in runs, bike rides, and yoga classes that are organized by or in collaboration with breweries? The answer to that question is provided by a recent study conducted by Alana Seaman of the University of North Carolina -Wilmington and her colleagues and published in the journal Leisure Studies. In that study, the researchers interviewed individuals who participated in LTPA associated with breweries in Wilmington, NC, Auburn, VA, and Louisville, KY. Activities that interviewees participated in were frisbee golf, run clubs, ping-pong tournaments, and yoga classes.

For participants, the social aspect of LTPA is important. LTPA provide opportunities to spend time with friends, while also meeting new people. Having a post-activity beer plays a critical role in facilitating socializing. Without it, most people would probably depart once the activity was completed. Some of the interviewees appreciated the laid-back, informal nature of LTPA, and the fact that it is less serious and intense than physical activities carried out in purpose-built buildings. The brewery, and the beer it produces and serves appears to be playing a critical role in bringing people together and socializing with each other. The fact that the craft breweries in the study were locally-owned was also attractive to many LTPA participants.

Leisure time physical activity is good for human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies insufficient physical activity as the fourth leading risk factor for mortality, accounting for approximately 3.2 million deaths per year. Research published in The Lancet suggests that the situation is much more serious, placing the number of deaths attributable to the lack of physical activity at 5.3 million. One estimate suggests that 31.3% of persons aged 15+ are insufficiently active.

A study of over 100,000 men and women between the ages of 20 and 100 living in Copenhagen, Denmark and published in the European Heart Journal found that leisure-time activity promotes cardiovascular health, while job-related physical activity does not. In a paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine researchers found that 7.6% of cardiovascular disease deaths globally are attributable to physical inactivity, while another published in the Journal of Yoga & Physical Therapy concluded that “people who participate in leisure activities have lower stress levels, a better mood, a lower heart rate, and more psychological engagement, which means they are less bored, which can help them avoid hazardous habits.”

The combination of craft breweries and LPTA seems to be a particularly beneficial one. LPTA clearly has health benefits. But so does moderate alcohol consumption in a social setting, as demonstrated by the work of evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar and others. As noted by Dunbar et al., in a 2017 paper published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, “our social networks provide us with the single most important buffer against mental and physical illness”. This is because alcohol triggers the endorphin system, which relaxes individuals and promotes social bonding.

I have been studying the craft brewing industry for just over ten years. Over that time, as the result of my own research, as well as that of others, I have arrived at the conclusion that craft breweries are assets to the communities in which they are located. The aforementioned paper by Alana Seaman and her colleagues, which explores the symbiotic relationship between craft breweries and LTPA, is the most recent piece of evidence in support of this.

Further Reading:

Seaman, Alana N, Lindsey Schroeder, Laura Morris, Kayla Hines, and Michele Abee. 2024. “Ten bucks for yoga and a beer in a cool vibey spot”: Exploring motivations for LTPA at craft breweries. Leisure Studies.

Alcohol Trends, Health, Low Alcohol Beer, Non-Alcoholic Beer

Craft Beer and the Anxiety Economy

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On a recent trip to my local grocery store I picked up a 6-pack of Run Wild IPA. I drink a lot of IPAs, so this was not a particularly unusual choice. Except that it was – this particular IPA was non-alcoholic. It was brewed by Athletic Brewing Co. If you are unfamiliar with Athletic Brewing Co., they started out in Stratford, CT in 2017. They grew quickly and today are the 13th largest craft brewery in the country – quite impressive for a brewery whose beer is all non-alcoholic. Such has been their success that they closed down their Stratford brewery and opened new ones in Milford, CT and San Diego, CA. Their success is indicative of the growing popularity of non- and low-alcohol beer in the United States. In 2021, sales of non-alcoholic beer increased by nearly 32%, while sales of low-alcohol beer grew by 4.5%. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau defines a non-alcoholic beer as one that contains less than 0,5% of alcohol by volume. So, what was I doing, purchasing a non-alcoholic beer? Well, recently, I have been consuming quite a few of the IPAs from New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger series. Those I have been drinking have generally come in at around 9% ABV. Personally, a couple of these are sufficient for me in one sitting, so I thought that having a non-alcoholic option for my third and fourth beer might not be a bad idea. An added bonus, if you are trying to watch your calorie count, is that Run Wild IPA only has 65 calories.

Enjoying a Run Wild IPA from Athletic Brewing Co.

After I purchased my Athletic 6-pack I was surfing the internet when I came across an NPR article on the increased popularity of non-alcoholic beers. As I was scrolling through it, a term that I had never heard before – the “anxiety economy” – caught my attention. According to NPR, the anxiety economy is a catch-all label for “for a set of products — like meditation apps, squishy stress balls, self-help books and online psychiatry services — that are benefiting from increasing numbers of folks striving for lower levels of anxiety and better physical and mental health.” Apparently, anxiety, or at least awareness of it, is on the rise and a whole industry has evolved to meet the needs of those suffering from it. A 2018 study by the American Psychiatric Association found that the national anxiety score (which ranges from 0-100) stood at 51, a five-point increase over the previous year. In particular, Americans were anxious about their health, safety and finances. And this was before the onset of COVID-19. Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed anxiety levels to new heights. Of course, it’s not just Americans who suffer from anxiety. In Great Britain, around 30% of the population experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their lifetime. Certain groups of people are more likely to experience anxiety than others. For example, people of color tend to be more anxious than Caucasians, people on Medicaid are more anxious than people with private insurance, and Millennials are more anxious than Baby Boomer or Gen-Xers.

The above referenced survey by the American Psychiatric Association found that personal health was a common source of anxiety. In recent years, health consciousness has been a key driver of the growing popularity of non- and low-alcohol beer. A new survey by Nielsen found that close to a third of consumers seek out healthier options – including beer – when they go grocery shopping.  Worldwide, the market for non-alcoholic beer which stood at $22 billion in 2022, is expected to rise to $40 billion in 2032. Folks seeking out non-alcoholic beer are part of what some have termed the “Sober Curious Movement“, while Mark Meek, CEO of IWSR Drinks Market Analysis refers to it as a “moderation trend“. Beer dominates the non/low alcohol segment, accounting for over 90% of sales. An indicator that non-alcoholic beer is becoming increasingly mainstream was the recent announcement that JetBlue would become the first major US airline to offer its passengers non-alcoholic beer. Starting this month (May 2023) JetBlue passengers will be able to enjoy an Upside Dawn Golden Ale while enjoying the view at 30,000 feet. The beer is brewed by (you’ve guessed it) Athletic Brewing Co.

Every year, after the excesses of the holiday season, we have “Dry January”, a month when consumers of alcohol are encouraged to abstain. Dry January has its origins in the United Kingdom and is the brainchild of Alcohol Health Alliance UK, who actually trademarked the term in 2014. Interestingly, Finland introduced the idea of “Sober January” in 1942 as part of its war effort against the Soviet Union.

Not everyone is necessarily onboard with low- and non-alcoholic beer. In a very thoughtful essay for Slate.com, Ian Lecklitner confesses to having a growing vendetta against non-alcoholic beverages. He cites several issues around non-alcoholic drinks, suggesting that they may not be the panacea that they appear. For former alcoholics, the smell (of hops for example) can have a triggering effect. Yet, according to one observer, “those recovering from alcohol addiction are clearly in the target market for non-alcoholic beverages.” Lecklitner makes clear his disdain for an industry that he accuses of “profiting off of addiction’.

While I prefer to not enter into the ethics of non-alcoholic beer, I will say that the latter have improved considerably in recent years. I can recall drinking the occasional O’Doul’s in years past and being singularly unimpressed. As one writer observed, “brewers are now making non-alcoholic beers that are packed with flavor, thanks to new technology and techniques that are reinventing a category that once felt like purgatory.” Apparently, this is due to a raft of innovations such as vacuum evaporation, filtration etc., which allow brewers to extract alcohol from the beer while retaining much of the beer’s intended flavor. It is certainly nice to have a tasty option when, for whatever reason, more alcohol (or any alcohol) is not desired.

Community, Events, Experiential Drinking, Health

Experiential Drinking: Building a Terrarium

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Back in September, I went with my wife and daughter to HEAVY Beer Company, one of the newer breweries here in Toledo, OH. I was going to drink beer, but that was not the primary reason why my wife and daughter were heading to the brewery. They were going to build a terrarium – yes, a terrarium. In case you are not familiar with a terrarium, definitions range from “a jar of dirt and some weeds” to “a sealed or unsealed container that contains elements of a terrestrial ecosystem“. More about the construction of my wife and daughter’s terrariums later, but first a little background on these living ecosystems.

Regardless of how it is defined, the word “terrarium” has its origins from the Latin word for earth, terra. The first terrarium was created by a British botanist by the name of Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward in the 1820s. It was something of an accidental creation on the part of Ward. Investigating how different gases effected plants, Ward discovered that plants sealed in glass containers did pretty well. His first terrarium was a simple affair – a fern sealed in a jar. Ward’s discovery significantly increased the survival rate (from 5% to 95%) for plants being shipped long distances. As proof of concept, Ward had a carpenter build two large terrariums which he filled with ferns. In July 1833 the terrariums were loaded on a ship bound for Sydney, Australia where they arrived six months later “alive and thriving“. In 1842, Ward published a small book in which he documented the results of his work which focused on the benefits of putting plants in glass cases.

The cover of Ward’s book on terrariums

Terrariums (or Wardian Cases as they were originally known) were popular in Victorian Britain. Their popularity soon spread to the United States.  In the late 19th century “terrariums were all the rage“. Their popularity declined during the early 20th century, but “experienced a resurgence in the 1970s” and remain popular today. The appeal of terrariums is multi-faceted; they are low maintenance, do not take up a lot of space, and can be good for your mental health.

Whatever the motivation for owning one, a group of approximately twenty gathered at HEAVY Beer Company for a “Plants and Pints” workshop, where they would make their own terrarium. Helping these folks achieve their lifelong dream of terrarium ownership were Greer and Matt, owners of The Green Crow, which they describe as “Toledo’s First and Only Mobile House Plant Store“. During the course of an hour or so, Greer and Matt led the group through the process of making a terrarium. Of course, participants enjoyed a number of the brewery’s excellent beers while doing so.

Making a terrarium at HEAVY Beer Co. in Toledo, OH
Making a terrarium at HEAVY Beer Co. in Toledo, OH

Making a terrarium at HEAVY Beer Co. in Toledo, OH
A completed terrarium

All of those making a terrarium at HEAVY Brewing Co. were engaged in a practice called “experiential drinking” – that is drinking a beer while engaged in some other type of activity. Examples of experiential drinking abound. At Prison City Brewing in Auburn, NY a group of fifteen folks met one evening recently for a painting lesson from artist Christy Lemp. While Lemp’s usual medium is watercolors, on this occasion she used the brewery’s imperial stout. While being instructed in the art of painting with beer, many of the participants sipped on one of Prison City’s own brews. At Black Cloister Brewery in Toledo, OH, on the first Monday of every month, a group of women (and the occasional man) met for a knitting and crocheting session. While doing so, many of these fiber artists enjoyed one the brewery’s many beers. Sadly, the Black Cloister closed its doors in September 2019. Beer yoga (drinking beer while doing yoga) is another example of experiential drinking. Beer Yoga has grown in popularity in recent years, Apparently, there is a style of yoga called Vinyasa, which is conducive to holding a beer while transitioning from one posture/pose to another. For those not into painting or yoga, other common examples of experiential drinking include playing cornhole, a board game, or pinball. Trivia Night is another common activity at craft breweries.

As noted by Beth Newhart in BeverageDaily.com, “drinkers are now more drawn to experience-based locations for their alcohol consumption than typical bars with no extra incentives”. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology examined the relationship link between how consumers spend their money and their happiness. One of the study’s key findings was that buying an experience resulted in more happiness than buying a material good. There are several reasons for this. First, people anticipate and remember experiences with more frequency than material goods. Second, (and this is a defining characteristic of experiential drinking), experiences are more likely to be shared with other people. The social aspect of experiences is good for human well-being. According to an article posted on the website of The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, “heaps of research suggest that social connections make people happier. Satisfying relationships not only make people happy, but they also associated with better health and even longer life.” In a previous blog entry, I cited the work of British anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, whose research has demonstrated the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, especially when done so in a social setting such as a British pub. So next time you go to a craft brewery with your friends, whether or not you build a terrarium, not only will you enjoy yourself, but you may add a few extra days to your life.

Craft Breweries, Health

Covid-19: Craft Breweries Responding to the Challenge

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Craft brewers and the breweries they represent have a reputation for creativity. As craft beer drinkers we see this manifest in the creation of new beer styles (or derivatives of existing styles) such as New England IPAs, West Coast IPAs, and Pastry Stouts. When it comes to creativity, craft breweries are facing a new challenge – that of selling their beer while the world is in the grips of the Covid19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. In attempts to mitigate the impact of the Covid19 (the so called “flattening the curve”) many Governors have ordered the closing of bars and restaurants for an indefinite period. This includes my own state of Ohio. In most cases, the restrictions do allow bars and restaurants to deliver food and drink to customers, as well as for curbside pick-up.

In some states home delivery and curbside pick-up of beer was, until Covid-19, illegal. Recognizing that craft breweries (and restaurants) need every bit of help they can get, many of these states have relaxed, albeit temporarily, these restrictions. In Tennessee, for example, craft breweries who have on-premise beer permits can request a temporary “on- and off-premise” permit that allows them to deliver beer to customers’ homes. The $250 permit application fee has been waived.

In Cincinnati, OH MadTree Brewing started sending what they called “adult ice cream trucks” into city neighborhoods. Instead of ice cream, however the trucks were selling Mad Tree beer and Catch-a-Fire pizza. After a couple days, however, MadTree suspended this initiative, as the trucks were attracting crowds that were “uncomfortably big”. In other words, social distancing, was being compromised. In Syracuse, NY, Now and Later Bottle Shop and Taproom had a similar idea, and are taking their delivery truck from neighborhood to neighborhood. Like MadTree in Cincinnati, Now and Later’s owner, Jason Purdy likens his beer delivery truck to an old fashioned ice cream truck. Other breweries, such as Stone Brewing in Escondido, CA and Karl Strauss Brewing Company in San Diego, CA are using couriers such as DoorDash to get beer to customers. In Memphis, TN, Matt Wilson, owner of three Swanky’s Taco Shops in metropolitan Memphis is going the extra mile to help craft breweries. Although his restaurants sell beers such as Budweiser, only locally brewed canned beer will be available for curbside pick-up.

In Ohio, the Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) maintain a list of breweries that are offer carry-out and delivery of beer. The list, available on the OCBA website, includes the hours the breweries are open for carry-out, whether they accept online orders, offer food for sale, and accept gift cards. At the time of writing 173 of OCBA’s operating brewery members are offering curbside pick-up. One Ohio brewery in particular is pulling out all the stops to encourage beer drinkers to utilize their curbside pick-up service. With store shelves empty of toilet paper, Black Frog Brewery of Holland, OH were offering a free roll of toilet paper with the purchase of a Howler or Growler of their beer.

Black Frog Brewery of Holland, OH were offering a free roll of toilet paper with the purchase of a Howler or Growler of their beer

States are also helping craft breweries by postponing sales tax collection. This will facilitate cash flow during this difficult period. Some private sector companies are also stepping in to help. Codi Manufacturing of Golden, CO are a mobile canning company. Realizing that some Colorado breweries have never canned their beer before, Codi offered their canning services for free. Breweries still have to pay for the cans, but not having to pay for use of the mobile canning system is a significant help. With taprooms closed, being able to offer their customers canned beer is critical to craft breweries. Closed taprooms, bars, and restaurants means that kegs have become almost obsolete (the exception is customers stopping by a brewery to get their growler refilled). As a result many breweries are scrambling to transfer kegged beers to cans. That can be a time-consuming process. For example, it took staff at Chicago’s Dovetail Brewery 13 hours to transfer (by hand) 50 kegs of beer into 5,000 sixteen ounce cans.

Despite all of these efforts, the slow down in business resulting from Covid-19, will have have an economic impact that is negative and significant. A survey by the Brewers Association paints a sobering picture. Ninety-five percent of craft brewers who responded to the survey expect year-over-year sales, for the first month of the closure period, to be down. On average, breweries expect a 59.5% drop in sales.

In the midst of these economic challenges, however, craft breweries have neither forgotten or abandoned their commitment to their local communities. As hand sanitizer is hoarded, and becomes a near-impossible product to find on the shelves of local retailers, many breweries (and distilleries) have stepped up and utilized their production capacity to produce this increasingly hard-to-get product. Craft breweries from New Orleans to Tampa Bay are producing hand sanitizer. And, in many cases, they are giving it away for free. Maumee Bay Brewing Company in my home city, Toledo, OH is one such brewery. Anyone can drop by the brewery and pick some up, for free. Last Thursday, I dropped by the brewery to pick-up some dinner and get a growler refill. While there, one of the brewery’s staff members offered a bottle of hand sanitizer to everyone in line. In addition to the general public, their ‘customers’ also include health care workers, many of whom are working with the disabled and elderly members of the northwest Ohio community. In Boulder, CO, Avery Brewing Company is giving away 4,000 cases of beer (96,000 beers) to workers at the frontline of fighting Covid-19 – healthcare, police, fire, grocery store workers etc. That craft breweries would step up and support their community at a time when they themselves are hurting may surprise some people; but to those of us who understand the industry realize that supporting their community is quite simply part of the industry’s DNA.

A bottle of hand sanitizer and a growler of Buckeye beer from Maumee Bay Brewing Company in Toledo, OH
Community, Craft Breweries, Culture, Health

Craft Breweries As Third Places

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The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg

In 1989, Ray Oldenburg, an American urban sociologist, published a book titled The Great Good Place. The subtitle of the book was informative and really conveyed the essence of Oldenburg’s ideas. The subtitle was Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. In this book, and in his subsequent work, Oldenburg writes about the importance of what he calls “third places” in American culture. According to Oldenburg, Americans occupy three distinct Continue reading Craft Breweries As Third Places →

Health, History

Slàinte, Salud, and Saħħa

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Slàinte, Salud, and Saħħa – three words that are all used in the same way and to convey the same sentiment. Slàinte is Scots Gaelic, Salud is Spanish, and Saħħa is Maltese. All are used as toasts when glasses of alcholol are raised and all essentially translate as “good health”.

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Health

No Beer For You

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Phil Silvers as Seargent Bilko in The Phil Silvers Show
Phil Silvers as Seargent Bilko in The Phil Silvers Show

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Leonard Rossiter as Reginald Perrin in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin

I am not a huge fan of situational comedies on television but over the years there have been a few that I have really enjoyed. Having lived in both the United Kingdom and the United
States my favorite sitcoms represent a mix from both countries. They include The Phil Silvers Show (CBS 1955- Continue reading No Beer For You →