Craft Beer Is Still Growing, Slightly!!

I have been writing about craft beer since 2016 and have watched across the last eight years as the number of craft breweries in America has nearly doubled! There was exponential growth as craft beers presence, and relevance seem to grow with leaps and bounds. And even back then I knew there was going to be competition with seltzers, nonalcoholic options, as well as the other craft beverages. Here in Indiana, I saw the number of craft breweries in Indiana top 180 in 2020. In the four years after I’ve seen a lot of transition in craft brewing, but I can say with certainty that as soon as one brewery or taproom closes, another one opens in the near future. There is still room for growth, and although it’s at a much slower rate, there is plenty of growth, and potential for it in craft brewing. That makes me hopeful and excited!

Even with breweries closing at a high rate, I have seen a lot of good breweries, open up all over the state of Indiana. Elwood’s Tarnished Hollow opened up with much fanfare, and Brandon still keeps festival goers happy with his crazy beer. And at least eleven other breweries have joined him as they opened up everywhere from Patoka Lake to Gas City. Even Indianapolis got a new brewery on the far west side when my buddies opened up Herrmann Brothers. It will be hosting an amazing Halloween festival on 26th of October.

And growth still happens in the cities in places like Evansville, where Barker Brewhouse joins a lot of other craft breweries, and taprooms in the metro area. But it’s in the small towns that there’s a great potential because a lot of towns like Jasonville are far away from other breweries or taprooms, and 21 Guns is a good fit there! It was nearly 10 years ago that I discussed growth with Nuvo beer writer Rita Kohn who firmly believed that sustained growth in craft beer would only happen in smaller towns where there was great potential! I’m seeing it happen right now, and you only need to visit a place like Northbrook in Arcadia to see a brewery embraced by the local community.

So we watched over a dozen breweries close over the last two years here in Indiana, which have included Valparaiso’s Four Fathers, and Lafayettes Knapptronix who’s owner and brewer passed away in June. That city also lost Escape Velocity, but there’s no cause for alarm because the Lafayette area gained Fontana Farms out in Delphi, and there are plenty of good places to drink in this craft beer loving college town. They even boast a nonalcoholic liquor store, call Generations NA, which has the largest selection of nonalcoholic craft beer I have ever seen! I was there recently, and got to enjoy samples from Fort Wayne’s juggernaut 2Tom’s which included a sour and an IPA that was available there!

And if nonalcoholic beer does not interest you that’s OK. It’s not for everyone, but interest in it is growing, and they make nearly every style of beer in NA form now. While I don’t like the flavor of many of them, some brands like Athletic and Best Day make a good product that is worth trying. I commend craft breweries for throwing their hand at this trend because even if it’s nonalcoholic, it’s still a craft beverage, and it’s beer. And maybe it’s just a trend because there’s plenty of us who still enjoy the real thing!

So there are new breweries opening up, but they’re also some exciting taprooms that have opened up like Tipton’s Mad Tap, and the Blue River Taphouse in Newcastle. Taprooms sell a lot of craft, beer and places like Brownsburg’s Books & Brews and Hop Station in Mishawaka are killing it. If you are in southern Indiana, Jeffersonville’s Pearl Street is a Great Taproom I have written about numerous times. I enjoy visiting these places as much as breweries because there is so many options when I walk into these establishments. Hop Station is a Disneyland for beer, and if you haven’t been there, you are really missing out.

Additional brewery taprooms is another place where I see growth happening. As some breweries have closed, breweries like Sun King Mashcraft, Taxman, Guggman Haus, and of course Upland have expanded their presence, often into an old breweries location. I recently heard my friend Robert Fedderson perform at MashCraft’s Fishers location which used to be Heady Hollow Brewing. The place was packed, and this gives me a sense of happiness because a lot of breweries seem to be doing well right now,

Taprooms do a lot for breweries with their tap takeover’s. A Taproom was ahead of its time as Eric Foust brought a lot of great breweries here to Indiana. As I write this article, I’m preparing to go to a Schlafly tap takeover at Tappers Arcade Bar. It’s a neat place, and if you haven’t been there, you’re missing out on the pinball machines, and good beer. They do a tap takeovers monthly, and definitely bring great beer to the North End of Fletcher Place.

And it’s going to be a good weekend because Books & Brews in Brownsburg has a tap takeover from Hop Butcher For The World tomorrow night. I am a fan of what Nick does, and he fills his taproom regularly with numerous events including several tap takeover’s monthly. It’s where my friends hang out, so I’m there regularly, and it’s a place you need to visit if you haven’t been there either.

So there still is growth in craft beer, and it’s coming in places besides in the number of new breweries opening up. Still, I know of at least six potential breweries statewide that might open in the next year or two. NA beer offers new potential and there’s a lot of growth in this market. Also, there are more new festivals popping up regularly, and I have more beer events than ever to look forward to. I may not have a feel for everything being this embedded in the craft beer scene, but from here things still look good!

So we’ve lost a few good breweries, but we’ve also gained a lot of good breweries in their place as well. Breweries are expanding with extra Taprooms, and I am excited about the potential this offers. Craft beer is everywhere, and even if you don’t want to pay $19 for it at the music venues, it’s still being offered! And there are plenty of places you can buy a pint or can far cheaper, and as long as there’s a good craft beer, this guy is happy!