Monday beer briefing: The future we choose

09.09.19, BEER & FERMENTATION LINKS

1) Forecasting the Future of Craft Beer.
2) Beer Town: The future of brewing in Atlanta isn’t what it used to be.
Alan McLeod wrote kindly about the pungent minimalism of last week’s links, so let’s do that again. Except for this quick thought. Josh Bernstein writes about the big picture and Bob Townsend about the scene in Atlanta, which happens to be where we live.

These are stories about the business of beer. It appears there are 2,000 or so breweries in planning across the country. They should know going in that Brewers Association economist Bart Watson forecasts that about 500 to 700 will close in the next two years. They better have a good business plan. But I am still bothered by the implications of this from this argument on #1: “Beer companies looking more like beverage companies is a step in the right direction.”

Is it? Isn’t it ok to be “just” a brewery? I can’t help but think about something the late Greg Noonan said more than 20 years ago (and I’ve cited here before): “When the homebrewers stop entering the profession, and the backyard breweries are squeezed out, then it will become stagnant. You gotta keep getting the guys who say, ‘Cool, I can sell the beer I make. I can do it.’ ”

3) Community-Minded Craft Brewers Are Reviving Time-Honored Table Beers.
4) Dangerous Stouts and Dad Metal — An Afternoon With Mastodon Drummer Brann Dailor.
5) What Are the Best Trends in Beer Right Now?

NOT AN ONION HEADLINE

6) White Claw shortages have millennials in a panic.

BECAUSE TERROIR ISN’T JUST ABOUT WINE

7) Wine study: 28% of Brits think ‘terroir’ is a breed of dog.

WINE

8) The Hopeless Hunt for the Perfect Wine.
9) Why a Wine’s Alcohol-by-Volume is Lying to You.

FROM TWITTER

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