Editorial | Making the Case for Widely Adopting Craft Malting in Beer

Forget Cold IPAs, Hard Seltzers, and Ready to Drink Cocktails, because as we’ve seen with many other style trends that have come before, they’re likely momentary flashes in the pan. What is the next trend that’s more likely to elevate craft beer? How about Craft Malt? Brewers often call malt the ‘Soul of Beer’ and it’s unmistakably the backbone. 

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CanSource Provides Canning Solutions Amid Minimum Increases

At the onset of the pandemic, the ability to pivot quickly after tasting rooms were closed for on-site consumption led a majority of breweries to focus their attention on packaging beer to-go. It was at that moment that aluminum cans became one of the hottest commodities in the industry. 

But just as canning beer became a major relief for breweries who desperately needed a way to get beer in the hands of consumers, it also became a major pain point. Ball Corp, which has long been the dominant supplier of aluminum cans, announced that it would increase minimum orders for a single SKU of printed cans from one truckload to five truck loads. This meant that a brewery that could previously order 200,000 printed cans of a single brand would now be forced to order approximately 1 million cans, essentially eliminating a primary supplier of printed cans for a majority of breweries in the market today.

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Craft Beer Is Dead Podcast | Stone Brewing Lawsuit, Guilt Reduction Marketing & Copyright

In Episode 060 from “Craft Beer is Dead” Podcast, Brie and Kreis discuss the outcome of Stone’s recent courtroom victory, how marketing sways your opinions, and trying some awesome Canadian beer, eh?

The Craft Beer is Dead podcast is brought to you by @kreisface + @the_pintsized_traveler and features discussions about craft beer news, interviews with industry professionals, the occasional true crime tie-in, and endless amounts of hilarity. They joined the PorchDrinking Podcast network but be sure to check out all of their episodes here: Craft Beer is Dead Podcast.

Thanks to the Craft Beer is Dead Podcast sponsors: A La Cart and Sticker Wolf.

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Join PorchDrinking for Three Days of Special CBC Events in Minneapolis

The PorchDrinking team is taking the Twin Cities by storm during next week’s Craft Brewers Conference by partnering with First Draft Taproom & Kitchen’s Minneapolis location for three special afternoons of special tappings and programming.

We invite all CBC attendees to join us for three days of special tappings beginning Monday, May 2 with a Lager All-Stars takeover presented by our friends at Hopsonomy, followed by a WeldWerks + Forager & Friends Rarities Takeover on Tuesday, May 3, and wrapping with a Hop All-Stars night on Wednesday, May 4.

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State of the Craft Beer Industry Report

After surviving a dismal Q1 of 2022, the craft beer industry can finally breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to more sunny skies for the remainder of 2022. A recent smattering of craft beer industry updates from trade associations, allied trade partners, and data aggregates are providing craft breweries more light at the end of their pandemic market tunnel. The general consensus is optimistic, whether it’s Bart Watson from the Brewers Association relaying his confidence about 2022 for craft brewers or 76% of craft brewers themselves waxing positive about sales growth this year in the 2022 Brewing Growth Trends Report from Arryved. It’s time to break out your sunglasses beer folks, let’s take a look at the brighter state of the craft beer industry (with some occasional clouds) heading into the remainder of 2022.

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It’s Okay That You’re Not Okay | Coping with Anxiety in Craft Beer

I was standing in the middle of a wide, crowded aisle at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival in Denver when I felt a familiar fog begin to close in inside my head. My thoughts got fuzzy and abstract, my eyes became fixed on the middle distance as the edges blurred, and my jaw felt wired shut. I was a silent observer inside a robot body.

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