If you like beer, you’ve probably noticed that there are many new breweries popping up around the country, all of which have their own style and preferences. This is due not only to the fact that beer has become more popular, new technologies are enhancing the brewing process to help brewers make better, more interesting beers.
Whether you are interested in the process or simply like to drink beer, the industry and range of beers that breweries can produce is growing. Here are five ways that breweries are advancing.
Micobrewing
One huge advancement for the beer industry is the ability to brew small batches of beer in-house. Small brewers and beer companies are opening up locations where they can both brew beer and serve it to happy customers. Until the last few decades, most beer was mass-produced and sent to stores and bars in large quantities.
Now brewers can make small batches and sell the whole thing to people on location or sell it in bottles and cans to merchants, providing a great way for them to sell all the beer they make. Not only does this waste less beer, it provides a way to keep the beverage as fresh as possible.
New Technologies
All kinds of new technologies are being used to make better beer and serve it to customers more effectively. For example, brewery software systems give the brewers a way to keep track of how many beers were sold of a particular beer. This offers them the knowledge to know what sells well, how much beer they are wasting, and when a beer typically sells out. This technology enables the customer to order and pay how they want.
Some tap rooms even charge by the ounce and allow customers to pour the beers themselves. This serving technology is being used to optimize the experience of the customer.
Water & Energy Saving
Of course, brewing uses a lot of water and energy. New brewing machinery allows for the brewing companies to recycle more water and use less energy to brew great beer. Not only does it provide a way for brewers to save money, it creates the opportunity to brew better beer more affordably. People want good beer for cheap.
With water and energy-saving brewing machinery, everyone benefits. The water needs to be fresh and taste good, but it can be filtered on-site and recycled when necessary. Optimizing energy-use with brewing technology that provides the energy information enables brewers to make beer more effectively.
New Beer Styles
As beer becomes more and more popular, the number of styles that people drink has increased. People are beginning to know what they like. Before it was “light or dark.” Now it is everywhere in between. There are more styles of IPAs, a growing interest in sours, and stouts with coffee and other ingredients. There is also an emphasis on seasonal beers.
Whatever the style, beer is becoming a more creative and nuanced industry. Brewers are pushing the boundaries of what beer is supposed to taste like while showing respect to the classics and brewing tasty, refreshing, and easy-to-drink lagers as well as the more intense stouts, sours, and IPAs. Technology has facilitated the brewing process, but it has also been opened up by the interest of the brewers and customers. Beer continues to get more and more creative.
Tap Room Environments
Finally, the tap rooms at breweries have changed. Before it was less family-friendly and now everyone is welcomed. Breweries are acknowledging that people with families want to come to their establishment for some food, relaxation, and great beer. The environment that brewers cultivate in their brewery’s tap rooms is more diverse and family-friendly. Whether you like a laid-back spot for Sunday beer and food or a wild bar that serves great beer all night, you can find your preferred brewery.
Beer has changed and will continue to change. As craft beer spreads and becomes more accessible, affordable, and lucrative for small businesses, the more people will get to enjoy their drink of choice. It doesn’t matter what kind of beer you like or where you want to drink it, the business of beer is evolving and advancing in ways that are exciting. Beer, as we know it, is changing all the time.
About the Author: Ryan Beitler is a writer, journalist, and beer connoisseur.
