Sucking in '16 -- Prologue

A post at Beer Advocate has me thinking about the increase in Minnesota breweries.

By "thinking about", I mean thinking a LOT about -- here's a link to the original post:

Falling Beer Quality as MN gains more Breweries

I have opinions just like everyone, and mine are no more or less qualified than the average poster at BA, Rate Beer, you name it.  And while we can debate the merits of anyone's experience in the (Amateur) hobby or in the (Professional) trade, that's not what inspired me, here.

Besides, we'll save all of that for another (much later) post -- okay?

Instead, I'll ask questions which set the stage for this series.

First, please read the OP and Mr. Agnew's piece which inspired it, if you haven't already. 

Both are reasonably short, whereas this one is most definitely not a short piece.

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Prologue
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I find it interesting that until recent years brewing beer wasn't generally seen as a dignified or serious occupation.  But when a novel, perhaps innovative descriptor was added to the end product of the trade -beer- we have Craft Beer, and brewing is suddenly being regarded more seriously by both those who regularly imbibe and those who seldom do.

As others have done in the past, I believe it instructive to draw parallels between the world of brewing and similar developments in beverage, dining and the broader culture in recent times.

Of couse, we can draw such parallels if we look at the very well-developed world of wine, and in particular the development of the California Wine movement certainly lends itself to such.  Both are beverage alcohol and thus both concern a particular form of licensed, regulated luxury item.

But outside of that "easy"area for the sake of comparison, is there a segment of the food and grocery market which can provide roughly-comparable, measurable growth to Craft Beer, and over a similar span of time? 

Yes there is, and such changes in shopping and dining habits --from staple grocery items to fast-casual to fine dining-- have taken place in the past several decades and are found in the modern Organic Food movement. 

Although there are no exact parallels, there are enough similarities between both Organic Food and Craft Beer where the tangible and monetary effects of each upon the general, consumer marketplace can be measured and compared.

In fact, I'd be very surprised if courses aren't being taught which compare the two!

I imagine they are -- somewhere out west -- where both have been affecting the broader consumer culture for a while longer (being more well-devolped aspects of the consumer market) than they are here in the upper midwest.

But dropping the "easy" comparison between Craft Beer and Organic Food wasn't the point I originaly wanted to make.  Nope!

Instead let's consider it a starting point, and just one of many thought provoking pieces in the challenging (even maddening) larger puzzle that is contemporary Craft Beer in the modern consumer marketplace.

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End Prologue 
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