My first article for this blog dealt with how Breweries come and go, and I discussed a lot of the breweries that I enjoyed that have been lost over the last decade. I discussed how not every brewery is going to make it, and it in this current environment, the beer scene is more competitive than ever. With excellent breweries opening everywhere every couple of months, other breweries are forced to step up their game. After talking to brewers who are stepping down after many years, I understand just how stressful this can be. But as a craft beer drinker, it is sad to see breweries go, and it is important for us as craft beer drinkers to support the breweries we love.
No matter where you live, I’m sure you’ve seen a local brewery close in the last several months. In many instances, a new one opens up in the same spot, such as Metal Works opening up in Bloomington Indiana, where Function once was. Throughout Indianapolis, I have seen old breweries have their locations taken by other breweries, or becoming a Taproom for an already existing brewery. Both Brewlink and Scarlet Lane have done that recently in the Indianapolis area. And then in these tough economic times, I’ve heard a lot about potential closing or breweries looking for new ownership, or someone to buy them out. The bottom line is a brewery is a business, and sometimes making a great product that is popular is not always enough.
So, with more breweries then ever, the competition is fierce, and unless you are a brewery in a really small town, your patrons have a lot of breweries choose from. I try to support a multiple number of breweries, but it’s just not mpossible to support them all. And with the recession, we are going to lose some breweries, and that’s just the facts of life. Some breweries just decide to retire after years of business, and others just don’t feel like they want to do it anymore. But whatever the reason is, not every brewery is going to be around forever!
I have been writing about beer for nearly a decade, and I still don’t like writing about breweries when they close. When I was visiting all the breweries in the state, some told me that they were only going to be open for five years, or that they would close as soon as they ran out of beer. I guess not everybody wants to brew beer forever, and it’s just a hobby for some people who just get tired of doing it. But for those of us who enjoy it, we don’t like it when breweries close whatever the reason.
So, while breweries are closing, you can take heart in the fact that breweries are opening up almost as fast. I have visited four breweries that opened up in the last year just in the last week. As long as there’s interesting craft beer, people will step up and fill in the holes that are left with breweries closing. I was at an Indiana On Tap Tasting event here in Indianapolis that featured four home brewers that look to open up breweries in the near future, so we have a lot to look forward to.
So just this week Indiana lost two breweries, and I made a point to get to both of them. Wabash Brewing was dear to my heart, and the final visit there was sad! I was lucky enough to visit multiple times, and found out the brewer was just tired of brewing. Black Acre was a brewery I first heard about when the founders were still working at 3 Wisemen together, and had told me about the idea while I was working next-door at 1001 Food & Drink. I have enjoyed their beer over the years, and when I heard they were closing, I put together a small group of people, and we enjoyed their beer and fellowship. I was also happy to see that the cooler of takeout beer disappeared over the course of the night! The brewery had a good run, but now it’s come to a close. And we as drinkers just have to accept that!
So breweries will continue to come and go, but as long as there are craft beer drinkers, there will be breweries to visit. All you can do is support the ones you like, and hope that enough of other craft beer drinkers are doing the same. And then you can just hope that that’s enough to keep a brewery going, and for most breweries, that will be enough. But some breweries are going to close, and that’s just the way the market is. So I am going to just enjoy what I have access to and keep enjoying craft beer, and I hope that you can do the same!
As I finish this article, I am sitting in the tap room of Rough Edges in Waynesboro, PA. This place has always been a favorite of mine when I visit Pennsylvania, and it’s nice to come back to an old friend. I’m also happy to say that Scarlet Lane will be putting in a Taproom where Black Acre was and this has developed since I started this article. I’m enjoying the beer I’m having at Rough Edges, and I will continue to support the breweries that are still around, and as long as we do this, craft beer is going to stay strong!
So Much Beer So Little Time 