Writing for upstart.bizjournals.com and the Silicon Valley Business Journal, Lauren Hepler has a good article that includes an interview with Bank of America Senior Vice President Brian Mulvaney about the booming craft beer industry.
Mulvaney optimistically sees room for growth in the industry, but he also suggests that some new start-ups will fail when they miss their branding or don’t make beer that tastes as good as their competitors’.
Mulvaney has seen three business models (four, if you count “nomadic brewing”) emerge in the craft beer world:
- Small brew pubs that sell most of their beer on site
- Regional breweries that are selling out of their taproom and sell to local restaurants or bars
- Production breweries that want to sell outside the region
He suggests that a new brewer needs to decide which model works best for him/her.
Mulvaney sees that trends toward buying local and buying artisanal goods are contributing to the demand for craft beer. He also talks about the consumer expectations for seasonal beers and how a brewery can use that to its advantage.
For more interesting insights into the craft beer industry, read the whole article.