Sunday’s ad is another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, also from 1956. This was part of the “Beer Belongs” series, but after the numbered “Home Life in America” run. The ad copy on this is priceless, too. “Beer has its own friendly way of saying … ‘Come and get it.'” This time the advice in the inset box is about keeping your glass clean, by rinsing it with water just before using it.
Friday’s ad is still another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, again from 1956. This was part of the “Beer Belongs” series, but after the numbered “Home Life in America” run. The ad copy on this is priceless, too. “Beer has its own wonderful way of saying … ‘Let’s just sit awhile.'” This time the advice in the inset box is about pouring your beer straight down the center, not tilted, because “it tastes even better that way!”
Thursday’s ad is yet another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, this time from 1956. This was part of the “Beer Belongs” series, but after the numbered “Home Life in America” run. I love the ad copy on this one in particular. “Beer has a very special way of saying … ‘Have a good time.'” And check out the great advice in the inset box in the bottom right corner, telling people to keep the beer out of the sun. Somebody missed a great business opportunity to sell beer umbrellas to keep your beer in the shade while at the beach.
Wednesday’s ad is another one from the United States Brewers Foundation, this time from 1951. It’s another ad reminding people, with Prohibition less than two decades in the rearview mirror, that the brewing industry contributes quite a bit to the economy. In this case, the figure is $193 million for state excise taxes from the previous year, 1950, so really that’s just a small part of what the industry contributed to the economy, because it doesn’t include federal excise taxes, or any additional taxes levied on all businesses plus the special taxes reserved for alcohol companies. You just know today that the amount is exponentially higher.
Tuesday’s ad is from the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1953. In a factoid-filled newspaper ad, the trade group sings the praises of the industry and their contribution to the economy. $2 million a day seems like a lot, though today it’s closer to $90 million a day, though it’s possibly more depending on which taxes are included in those statistics.
Craft brewers enjoyed continued growth through the first half of 2014, according to new mid-year data recently released by the Brewers Association, the trade group representing smaller brewers. Craft beer production increased 18 percent by volume during the first half of the year (though the new numbers are based on the revised definition of who is a craft brewer as per the BA, while last year’s numbers were compiled under the old definition). From the press release:
From January through the end of June, around 10.6 million barrels of beer were sold, up from 9.0 million barrels over the first half of 2013. “The sustained double-digit growth of the craft category shows the solidity of demand for fuller flavored beer in a variety of styles from small and independent American producers,” said Bart Watson, chief economist for the BA. “Craft brewers are providing world-class, innovative products that continue to excite beer lovers and energize the industry.”
As of June 30, 2014, 3,040 breweries were operating in the U.S., 99 percent of which were small and independent craft breweries. Additionally, there were 1,929 breweries in planning. Craft brewers currently employ an estimated 110,273 full-time and part-time workers, many of which are manufacturing jobs, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy.
I know that many people seem tired of celebrating numerical achievements, preferring to concentrate on the beer itself, or the quality of beers, etc., but I think there is something to be said for the continuing rise of the sheer number of breweries in America. It is, I believe, indicative of greater consumer acceptance and a desire for beer drinkers to want to support local producers. It’s true that the growth of the regional, larger breweries are fueling a lot of the marketshare, but with many of the new small breweries catering to a very local customer base, this growth phase we’re in shouldn’t slow down for a least a little while longer.
Yesterday, the Brewers Association announced that the number of breweries in the United States eclipsed 3,000, as of June 2014 stood at 3,040. Here’s more from the BA’s press release:
The American brewing industry reached another milestone at the end of June, with more than 3,000 breweries operating for all or part of the month (3,040 to be precise). Although precise numbers from the 19th century are difficult to confirm, this is likely the first time the United States has crossed the 3,000 brewery barrier since the 1870s. Wieren (1995) notes that the Internal Revenue Department counted 2,830 “ale and lager breweries in operation” in 1880, down from a high point of 4,131 in 1873.
What does 3,000 breweries mean? For one, it represents a return to the localization of beer production, with almost 99% of the 3,040 breweries being small and independent. The majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a local brewery, and with almost 2,000 planning breweries in the BA database, that percentage is only going to climb in the coming years.
Secondly, it means that competition continues to increase, and that brewers will need to further differentiate and focus on quality if they are going to succeed in a crowded marketplace. While a national brewery number is fairly irrelevant without understanding local marketplaces, 3,040 breweries could not happen without increased competition in many localities.
What it does not mean is that we’ve reached a saturation point. Most of the new entrants continue to be small and local, operating in neighborhoods or towns. What it means to be a brewery is shifting, back toward an era when breweries were largely local, and operated as a neighborhood bar or restaurant. How many neighborhoods in the country could still stand to gain from a high-quality brewpub or micro taproom? While a return to the per capita ratio of 1873 seems unlikely (that would mean more than 30,000 breweries), the resurgence of American brewing is far from over.
Friday’s ad is for the U.S. Brewers Industry Foundation, from the 1940s, sometime during World War II. This is from the brewing industry’s “Morale is a Lot of Little Things,” their award-winning campaign that talks about the little things that help people’s morale during the war. Not surprisingly, beer is usually one of them.
Sunday’s Father’s Day ad is another trade ad by the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1956. This is #96 in the “Home Life in America” series, part of the Beer Belongs campaign by the USBF. It originally ran in prominent magazines in late June and early July of 1954. The artwork was by Douglass Crockwell, a well-known illustrator of the day, and was entitled “Dad Takes On All Comers.” And Dad’s sport of choice?: croquet. BUt he may have met his match. His daughter, one presumes, is going for the peg, as Mom shushes the crowd so she can concentrate on beating Dad. You have to admit, that’s a pretty impressive back yard. But who puts the barbecue right next to a tree? If I’m not mistaken, trees are what they make firewood out of.
Saturday’s ad is a trade ad by the United States Brewers Foundation, from 1959. Featuring a foursome bowling, the text starts with “What a great feeling to see all the pins go down…” followed by the tagline “Good for you!” “A strike! You did it.” Ah, bowling. But I especially love the end. “A glass of beer adds so much fun to so many occasions. And it really picks you up, too!”
