Craft Beer is Gaining Momentum

Homebrewing is not a common hobby in the southern states, especially Louisiana. It wasn't that long ago that it was illegal to homebrew beer in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama! What I am glad to see is the growth of homebrewed beer and craft breweries near our home.

The American Brewers Association released the numbers for 2013 craft beer sales. Craft brewing is a growing industry nationwide.


Soon C'est Bon Biere will add to these numbers.

This growth is becoming evident in southern states too. New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, CO) is building a new production facility in Ashville, NC. Abita Brewing Company recently completed an expansion that doubles their brewing capacity. Lazy Magnolia Brewing (Kiln, MS) is in the process of an expansion that will extend their distribution footprint well beyond the Gulf coast.

Stone Brewing Company out of California is also looking to begin constructing a brewery east of the Mississippi River. One of the states considered was Alabama. An editorial from the Anniston Star explains how the state has handled the situation.

The three-tiered distributing system is also the law in Louisiana among other states. Here is an over-simplified explanation of how it works (because simple is how I operate).

Currently in states like Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama there is no "Brand Owner" selling to "Retail Stores". There is no "Brand Owner" selling where the "Brand Owner" brews. States like Colorado, California, and Pennsylvania do not have these systems in place, and they have more craft breweries than most states (especially Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama).

The message that Stone sent to the state of Alabama was clear. Construct your laws to be fair to breweries of all size, especially the home-grown local businesses. I am glad to see the growth that craft beer has realized over the past year, and I can only hope that this trend continues in 2014 as well.

At C'est Bon Biere, we bottled the Shiva Blast Spiced Ale, and we are gearing up for our next homebrew competition. Happy Spring everybody, enjoy a craft beer (spring seasonal beers are coming out), and enjoy a homebrew if you can. Until Next time, Cheers!