As craft beer and its corresponding culture continue to gain
steam in the US, “beer tourism” has not only become a thing, but a big thing. There
was a time where a brewery would open primarily to distribute beer in the
local, regional, or even larger markets. These breweries would frequently
squeeze in a tasting room for anyone who wanted to see where their beer is made,
and maybe get a growler filled. In that business model, the taproom was far
from an integral piece of the profit stream.
Today, it is common for breweries to open with taproom as
the lynchpin of their business plan. These places are geared heavily or
exclusively to sell their product on premise, making them basically a bar that
makes what they serve in house. This model is far less financially prohibitive
than jumping right into a production brewery, and as such they, along with the
bigger upstarts, continue to pop up all around the country.
What does all of this mean? It means that no matter where
you are, you’re probably within a short drive of a brewery hotbed. This in turn
means that you can and should dive in to the beer tourism world head first with
an epic beer-venture!
