Beer Thoughts

Craft Beer is the Strangest Happiest Economic Story in America - Derek Thompson at the The Atlantic tries to make sense of trends in the craft beer business.  The good guys seem to be winning.  What gives?  Upcoming Improvements to the Tree House Experience - Yes, less than a year after their expansion, Tree house is doing it again - sort of.  The house that New England IPA built will see additions adding more serving, sitting, and sheltered space to queue.  There are even rumors of a return to growler pours.  All good news from Charleton.  Tanks for All the Beer - B. United Rewrites the rules for Importing - Shipment across the ocean changes beer.  B. United shares some of their secrets to keeping beer fresh, and competitive with shiny cans and fresh at the brewery consumption. Donald Glover Can't Save You - A thoughtful, and lengthy look into the mind of one of America's creative polymaths.  I know it's off topic, save a rathe...

The concept of brewery expansion is being redefined.  Growth, in this industry, isn't about capacity.  Some notable breweries who chased volumes to financial ruin.  Expansion has become more about access, and creative capability.  To borrow some bland corporate buzz words, craft breweries are right sizing and diversifying.  Craft beer drinkers are a promiscuous lot.  The promise of something new, and tasty will draw more repeat business than a stable list of class leading beers.  Nano breweries and tap room micros can't keep this secret.  Bigger players are adjusting their strategies. Bell's  Brewdeck in Comstock, MI Less than a year after completing a $50 million upgrade to their million barrel (bbl) a year Comstock, MI production brewery, Bell's Brewery committed another 7 million to add two "pilot" systems to their operations.  A 3 bbl system in the brewery's original building, now pub, in Kalamazoo and a 20 bbl brewhouse in th...