People are curious about craft beer

Matt Zajechowski and his team over at Digital Third Coast Marketing brought an interesting study to my attention done at Kendall College. A study that shows the breakdown of the influence of craft beer on baby boomers and millenials and the beer industry itself. The whole reason I started my beer blog because I want people to know that there is so much more to beer than fizzy and yellow. Craft beer comes in different colors, alcohol content, IBUs, weight (heavy versues a lighter beer), and some are seasonal. You can't get the same beers all year round. I, for one, am looking forward to trying to get my hands on the Dark Lord in the spring.  Bigger doesn't always mean better. Faking a craft beer doesn't get it done either. You know which ones I'm talking about. As many know some of the best beers in the country and world are produced by the smaller craft breweries. If you like your fizzy yellow beer then by all means keep drinking it and stop reading. But, those of us who enjoy substance and flavor should keep reading. You should also check out my beer reviews page to see my obsession with IPA beers.

Kendall College study courtesy of Matt.
Consumers are more curious about craft beer than they ever have before.  Consumer’s curiosity has lead to increased sales and growth within the industry over the past decade. This growth trend within the craft beer industry is one that both faculty and students at Kendall College were excited to study and learn more about.  Who wouldn’t want to learn more about craft beer as a college student? John Laloganes and Phil Mott, both Assistant Professors within the Kendall College hospitality program along with their students looked into many aspects within the growth of the craft beer industry. Their insight and advice resulted in the creation of this infographic. This was designed to showcase the knowledge of the faculty and students at Kendall College, as well as to document the potential impact and growth of the craft beer industry as a whole.  Some of the more interesting findings in the craft beer infographic can be seen below:

• 36% consumers drink craft beer.
• 45% of consumers would try more craft beer if they were more educated about it.
• 32% of baby boomers said they preferred the taste of craft beer as opposed to 43% of millenials.
• Consumers who enjoy pairing craft beer with food.
• 2,403 breweries in the United States alone are responsible for more than 103,585 jobs as of 2012.
• The sales of craft beer are constantly on the rise.  Back in 2007 sales of craft beer amounted to 5.7 billion.  In 2012 that number doubled to just over 12 billion. By 2017 that number is expected to triple according to industry experts.