Will the Craft Beer Industry Continue to Hop?

I have been following the craft beer and brewpub industry for some 20 years now when it was referred to as “micro brews.” In the past several years, I have noticed larger beer brands are starting to acquire the strong regional breweries. This was never more apparent to me then when last year Ballast Point, the San Diego craft brewery founded in the 1990s whose beers are now sold in 30 states, announced it was being acquired for roughly $1 billion by beverage conglomerate Constellation Brands.

At that moment I knew this craft brew thing was here to stay. But more importantly I knew the reason this industry continues to prosper is due to the fact craft brewing and brewpubs attract a different culture. By this I mean they cast a wide demographic net that catches those typically in their early 20s through their late 50s and not your run-of-the-mill “bar crowd.” Most are interested in the quality and creativity of these brews and appreciate the ingredients and recipes the brewers…