Saving Local Breweries

Good morning. To the American readers, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving with loved ones, good food, and great beer.

For everyone else, I hope you got some good deals over the weekend.

-Brandon Copeland

Saving Local Breweries

Local breweries are more than just beer producers - they are pillars of the community, a place for gathering with family, and the epitome of small business. Most small breweries are run by former homebrewers with the dream to turn their hobby into a full time job. It's often a family business and the realization of someone’s lifelong dream.

However, it can be a tough business. If you're not operating at scale, which most small breweries can't, you have to rely heavily on taproom sales since they have the highest margin and other revenue streams are cut in half by middleman distributors. If you can't get people in the doors, like during the pandemic, it puts a serious strain on the business.

As homebrewers, we love these institutions - they are generally the most adventurous brewers, with rotating taps and always something new to try. It's raw, unfiltered, and comfortable - a place where you can talk shop and feel apart of the beer community.

Unfortunately, these establishments are closing in higher numbers than normal. Some of it is normal - not all businesses can survive, and “natural selection” ensures that the best survive. However, for others it's been a variety of factors - inflation has raised the prices of ingredients, labor costs continually go up, foot traffic into breweries is lagging, and beer sales are down in the last couple years.

What can we do to save the breweries that we love? Well, it's simple - visit more often! Instead of going to the supermarket to pick up beer, swing by directly and pick up a couple four packs at the brewery. Buy some merch to wear proudly. Too often, a brewery announces they are closing and then they get a massive surge of sales from the community, but at that point it's too little too late.

Sponsored By Mood Gummies

This cannabis startup pioneered “rapid onset” gummies

Most people prefer to smoke cannabis but that isn’t an option if you’re at work or in public.

That’s why we were so excited when we found out about Mood’s new Rapid Onset THC Gummies. They can take effect in as little as 5 minutes without the need for a lighter, lingering smells or any coughing.

Nobody will ever know you’re enjoying some THC.

We recommend you try them out because they offer a 100% money-back guarantee. And for a limited time, you can receive 20% off with code FIRST20.

Shop Now

Beer Trivia Question

🍺 What was the first modern day microbrewery in the United States?

Read to the end to find out if you're right!

Brewgr Recipe of the Week

Wicked Blackberry 

Given the popularity of Wicked right now, I felt it was appropriate to “hold space” for a Wicked inspired beer. This blackberry stout is an extract recipe that will pack a punch with a berry undertone. It’s scaled to just 1 gallon, which could be a nice way to try a new adventurous beer.

Credit: obKNOXious-Brewing

Poll Results: Are You Planning To Buy Homebrewing Equipment On Black Friday?

The majority of homebrewers who answered this poll were not planning on buying new homebrewing equipment, which is completely understandable. Throwing money at your homebrewing is not going to make better beer in all cases.

For my part, I finally (after 8 years of all grain brewing) upgraded my ancient, tiny grain mill to a Hullwrecker Grain Mill which can fit 7 lbs of grain, will fit right on top of a bucket, and be operated by a drill, which will save me a lot of pain and suffering down the line. I was also able to get 20% off, which for an item I have been looking at for years, was a pretty solid deal.

And the Answer Is...

🍺 New Albion opened in 1977 by Jack McAuliffe using discarded dairy tanks and other industrial equipment. He was inspired by visits to breweries in Scotland as well as a visit to Anchor Brewing.