News

Spring brew fest set for Thursday at fairgrounds

Posted On May 4, 2015

Re-posted from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, May 3, 2015

Just as the spring sun is starting to warm the faces of winterized Bozemanites, a spring brewing festival is coming to Bozeman to spread the taste of more than 85 Montana-made craft beers.

The Montana Brewers Association has organized a spring brew festival for this Thursday at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, the first that the group has held in Bozeman since 2011, said Tony Herbert, executive director for the group.

As of Friday, 25 breweries from across the state were confirmed to take part, bringing 86 different beers for Bozemanites’ sipping pleasure, while vendors sell food and local musicians entertain.

“When you come to our brew-fest, you get a chance to try some beers that may not be in your market and may never be in your market,” Herbert said. Brewers from as far afield as Libby, Kalispell, Sidney and Havre will be among those showcased at the festival.

Thursday’s 4 to 10 p.m. event — the first hour is VIP-only — is the 10th brew-fest the Montana Brewers Association has held since the group’s inception in 2009, and they were held in Bozeman the first three years, Herbert said.

Herbert said he’s excited to return to Bozeman, home of many “good craft beer fans,” but the event is bittersweet, as it will be his last public event at the helm of the Brewers Association.

The group is currently taking applications for a new director, and Herbert will help with the transition before stepping down July 1, he said.

“Being the director of the craft brewers (association) has been a really awesome opportunity,” Herbert said. “It’s such a cool and new business going on across the state.”

After he relinquishes the reigns, Herbert plans to go camping with his family and relax more.

“I’m going to be moving on to recreate more and work less,” he said.

Thursday’s brew-fest will be held in Haynes Pavilion at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. General admission tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate, and VIP tickets are $30 advance and $35 at the gate. A paid ticket gets admission and a 9-ounce glass good for 4-ounce samples of any beers. There’s no set limit to the number of samples, but Herbert encourages people to drink responsibly.

Admission is restricted to ages 21 and over. More information is available at www.montanabrewers.org.

CRAFT BREWER VOLUME SHARE OF U.S. BEER MARKET REACHES DOUBLE DIGITS IN 2014

Posted On March 18, 2015

Re-post from Brewers Association, March 16th, 2015

Brewers Association Reports Annual Growth Figures for Small and Independent Brewers

Boulder, CO • March 16, 2015—The Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers, today released 2014 data on U.S. craft brewing¹ growth. For the first-time ever, craft brewers reached double-digit (11 percent) volume share of the marketplace.

In 2014, craft brewers produced 22.2 million barrels, and saw an 18 percent rise in volume² and a 22 percent increase in retail dollar value³. Retail dollar value was estimated at $19.6 billion representing 19.3 percent market share.

“With the total beer market up only 0.5 percent in 2014, craft brewers are key in keeping the overall industry innovative and growing. This steady growth shows that craft brewing is part of a profound shift in American beer culture—a shift that will help craft brewers achieve their ambitious goal of 20 percent market share by 2020,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “Small and independent brewers are deepening their connection to local beer lovers while continuing to create excitement and attract even more appreciators.”

Additionally, the number of operating breweries in the U.S. in 2014 grew 19 percent, totaling 3,464 breweries, with 3,418 considered craft broken down as follows: 1,871 microbreweries, 1,412 brewpubs and 135 regional craft breweries. Throughout the year, there were 615 new brewery openings and only 46 closings.

Combined with already existing and established breweries and brewpubs, craft brewers provided 115,469 jobs, an increase of almost 5,000 from the previous year.

“These small businesses are one of the bright spots in both our economy and culture. Craft brewers are serving their local communities, brewing up jobs and boosting tourism,” added Watson. “Craft brewers are creating high quality, differentiated beers; new brewers that match this standard will be welcomed in the market with open arms.”

Note: Numbers are preliminary. The Brewers Association will release the list of Top 50 craft brewing companies and overall brewing companies by volume sales on March 31. Additionally, a more extensive analysis will be released during the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America® in Portland, Oregon from April 14-17. The full 2014 industry analysis will be published in the May/June 2015 issue of The New Brewer, highlighting regional trends and production by individual breweries.

1 An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.
2 Volume by craft brewers represent total taxable production.
3 Figure derived from comparable data set based on 2014 update of craft brewer definition.
Contact: Abby Berman (on behalf of the Brewers Association), (646) 695-7044

Sponsorships for 2015 Montana Brewers Festivals

Posted On March 17, 2015

Sponsorships for 2015 Montana Brewer Festivals; featuring only beer that’s made in Montana.

The MBA works with sponsorship partners to host events around the state to promote and support the craft beer movement in Montana. Please be in touch with us if you’d like to add your brand’s name to the line-up of companies that help us pull off great parties and support this Made in Montana economy-building industry. Scroll down to find information about the event you would like to sponsor.