Small breweries have been steadily rising in popularity in recent years. Let us take a look at three reasons why that is the case.

1. Craft Beers Are More Widely Available Than They Once Were

If you are of a certain age and live in the U.K., you may remember CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, which campaigned for real ales and craft beers to be more widely available in pubs and bars, when the big brewing companies dominated the scene.

CAMRA is still going, but there is no longer a need for the organisation to campaign as much. Craft beers are now widely available throughout the U.K. due to increased demand from customers over the last couple of decades.

In turn, that has meant more and more small breweries have launched. In the last decade, in particular, many microbreweries and bottle shops have popped up all over London and elsewhere in Britain.

And the artisan beer drinking scene has actually overtaken the demand for mainstream beers. According to a 2019 study by the pub chain Brewhouse and Kitchen, 65% of Londoners said they prefer craft beers more than mainstream ones.

The same study showed that craft beer sales had increased by 48% over the previous year, which was faster than any other beer category.

Seeing as craft beers are now more widely available and many small breweries have been established in recent years, more customers have the chance to sample craft brews, and customers are certainly liking what they are drinking.

Ergo, more small breweries are continuing to open and becoming popular.

But the popularity of craft beers is not limited to the U.K. For instance, in the U.S. between 2008 and 2016, the number of breweries expanded by a whopping factor of six and the brewing industry doubled its workforce over the same period.

Even more incredible is that that happened during a time when beer consumption actually declined in the U.S.

And many other countries, including Canada, Australia, and South Africa, have seen a rise in small craft breweries in recent times.

With all this talk of beer, you might now be considering brewing your own beer. There are some great home brewing kits available. And once you have mastered brewing processes, you might even like to launch your own small brewery.

If you decide to do that, make sure you use software to manage your brewery operations. For instance, at Ollie, you can find software to help you better manage your brewery production, inventory, order processing, and more.

2. Customers Want Variety and Uniqueness

The fact that craft beers from small breweries are now more widely available has certainly majorly contributed to the rise of more independent breweries opening throughout the world.

But at the end of the day, the popularity comes down to the beer itself.

Beer drinkers are increasingly wanting to try a wide variety of beers that are unique and combine different flavours, and the big brewing companies simply cannot compete with the variety of beers, and limited editions that are available seasonally, that small breweries produce.

Undoubtedly, the number one reason why small breweries have become so popular is that they have a wide range of more unique beer flavours.

People now want to try something different. So, they are swapping their lagers and pilsners for the distinct beers that small companies brew.

3. People Like Supporting Independent Companies

In general, more and more people are looking to support local and independent companies.

Within the beer industry, customers are turning to small brewery beers rather than beers produced by well-known global companies.

So, that is another reason why small breweries are continuing to rise in popularity.