National AMERICAN Beer Day – October 27th

photo credit Robert Smith

Not National Beer Day (April 7^th), but National AMERICAN Beer Day. The USA beer market is $101.5 billion, with the craft beer market at $19.6 billion or 17.6% of all USA beer consumption (2014).  Import beer represents 6.9% of the total.

But I’m in Michigan so let’s talk local.  There were just over 100 breweries in Michigan in 2011, and we we’re at 160 in 2014. Those breweries produced 825,103 barrels (10^th in the USA), with an average of 3.6 gallons consumed per adult (21+ years of age, or 13^th nationally).  I’ve always contended that Michigan’s great, tasty and abundant water made it one of the best places for brewing beer.  Our climate is also great for growing hops and Michigan is starting to get some great, mature hops farms, although our acreage is far below competing States. (Watch out Washington State!)

In 2014, we had 159 craft breweries (6^th in the country). The Michigan State web site listed 198 as of this posting (State rankings not available).

So here’s my deal, and I know it’s not everybody’s mug o’beer.  I would so much rather have 1 or 2 good locally brewed (or even just craft) beers at about $5/mug than to sit in a national, regional or local  franchise at happy hour and drink four or five $3, 22 oz mass produced, colorless and flavorless beers (Bud, Miller, your names shall not be mentioned - oops).

It is not required that you celebrate National American Beer Day today. But I hope you will.  And I hope that you stop in your local brewery to sample their offerings.  Or at least go to a restaurant or lounge that has other great Michigan beers on tap to try something other than the clear, bland mass-produced beers. 

I think I will try to do a ‘trifecta’ in my area, that being #Brewery Becker, #EternityBrewing, and #BlockBrewing.  They have smaller glasses than just the mug, so maybe I’ll do an #IPA tour, or perhaps a #Porter or #Stout tour.  Depends on how I’m feeling. I don’t think I’ll be disappointed, in any case.

If, while drinking your craft beer, you come up with a real estate question, feel free to contact me at your convenience.