Craft breweries - The next generation
Craft brewing has gone through a great period of growth in what had been a stagnant decade for the brewing industry as a whole. This next decade will be different. We will see consolidation in the craft segment while, at the same time, we will see solid growth return to the overall brewing market. Demographic changes are a leading factor in this turnaround. During the last decade the baby boomers advanced into their 40’s and early 50’s. As people age they tend to drink less than they did in their youth. This trend, along with an increase in health consciousness and the social awareness of drinking and driving, has caused the per capita consumption in this country to drop enough to counter the general growth in the total population (see Fig. 1, Per capita consumption).8 million in all....