History....We are living it.
This last weekend we went to the Milwaukee County Historical Society to check out the Milwaukee's Brewing History Exhibit. I have always been fascinated with knowing where things came from and how they have evolved. Beer has an amazingly rich history and the history of beer in Milwaukee is just as rich and amazing. Now, this isn't going to be a history lesson as I would do a poor job of trying to convey the message. But I will tell you that we learned some very interesting facts and the whole exhibit may take you an hour to get through. I will have a link to the pictures we took while we were there.
Milwaukee's Brewing History Photos
The craft beer scene is really still new to the US. Yes, we have breweries that are considered craft that have been around for 25 plus years but we also have seen an explosion of breweries or brew pubs open in the last 5 or so years. Macro breweries have not only taken a hit from this transition in sales, but also have taken a hit in perception as well. The majority of the beer drinking population still drink products from Miller and Budweiser with craft beer growing but still a fraction of what the big boys sell. What if these breweries didn't grow to become mega businesses but rather failed? Would we still have the same beer culture as we do now? Sometimes these types of movements need an enemy, and big beer happens to be it.
So what's my viewpoint? Well, I grew up on Miller products and I had friends who's parents worked for Miller. It was part of our culture growing up and will always hold a place in my heart because of it. But at the end of the day I am just not a fan of the beer anymore. My palate has changed and I lean towards beers that Miller just don't make. I was never a fan of Budweiser... call it a rivalry of sorts :). I can appreciate the big brewery operation and respect Miller and Budweiser for their level of consistency in an industry that seems to be rather inconsistent now.
What is in store for the future? Who knows... We are writing the history every day. Think about how long you have been in the craft beer scene and how much it has changed in just a few short years. The next new hot brewery, the consolidation, the failures and the surprise successes. This story is just starting to play out and we may not see it's true direction for a very long time. I envision having a bottle share at the retirement home reminiscing about all the great beer we had and complaining how the scene has changed and that it's a young kids game now.
I think my next blog is going to be about the different type of beer fans we have out there. This should be a fun and insightful blog post!!
Milwaukee's Brewing History Photos
The craft beer scene is really still new to the US. Yes, we have breweries that are considered craft that have been around for 25 plus years but we also have seen an explosion of breweries or brew pubs open in the last 5 or so years. Macro breweries have not only taken a hit from this transition in sales, but also have taken a hit in perception as well. The majority of the beer drinking population still drink products from Miller and Budweiser with craft beer growing but still a fraction of what the big boys sell. What if these breweries didn't grow to become mega businesses but rather failed? Would we still have the same beer culture as we do now? Sometimes these types of movements need an enemy, and big beer happens to be it.
So what's my viewpoint? Well, I grew up on Miller products and I had friends who's parents worked for Miller. It was part of our culture growing up and will always hold a place in my heart because of it. But at the end of the day I am just not a fan of the beer anymore. My palate has changed and I lean towards beers that Miller just don't make. I was never a fan of Budweiser... call it a rivalry of sorts :). I can appreciate the big brewery operation and respect Miller and Budweiser for their level of consistency in an industry that seems to be rather inconsistent now.
What is in store for the future? Who knows... We are writing the history every day. Think about how long you have been in the craft beer scene and how much it has changed in just a few short years. The next new hot brewery, the consolidation, the failures and the surprise successes. This story is just starting to play out and we may not see it's true direction for a very long time. I envision having a bottle share at the retirement home reminiscing about all the great beer we had and complaining how the scene has changed and that it's a young kids game now.
I think my next blog is going to be about the different type of beer fans we have out there. This should be a fun and insightful blog post!!
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