The Boom of Beer Tourism
Craft beer has been the up and coming economy builder for the USA for the past decade. I am not finding this coincidental to the fact that this also coincides with the coming of age for Millennials. Beer is not new to the world. It has been the drink of choice for centuries. The first brew recorded dates pre B.C. What changed to create this phenomenon with the craft beer industry?
I believe that part of the phenomenon is because we live in an era where things are more global than ever before. Millennials were there when the World Wide Web first occurred. They were there for the first online chat rooms and social media platforms. Millennials remember what a payphone is and yet they were the first to have a cell phone. Things are now literally at our fingertips. One Facebook or Instagram post and we are global. As things become more accessible trends become the popular norm. Countries are adopting the US culture as we are adopting some attributes from others. Even now with the ability to stream television, we are able to watch popular shows from other countries. A great example would be the trend of Game of Thrones a series in which the whole world was watching and yet only one American actor was in the leading cast. A show that demonstrated a global fan base as well as the love of a good Ale. {{more}}
The 1900s was the time of change for America. With the boom of the steel industry, we were becoming a more global country. With cars, planes, and trains to make travel more accessible to the average American. We began to travel more. Cities were starting to grow. Skyscrapers were formed. Wars were fought and won. The stock market was born. America became a place where dreams come true. Foreign exchange on the stock market was the beginning of the world becoming more globally influenced. This is how companies from other countries started to influence us stateside. Great examples are labels such as Coco-Chanel and Vogue magazine.
As travel became more accessible to the average American, so did the globe. Fast forward to today. Now the globe is only a couple clicks away with the worldwide web. It is only fitting that trends are becoming increasingly more global as well. BEER IS EVERYWHERE and Millenials want to be there! Companies like Untappd have made seeking the latest and greatest beer even more exciting. With a few clicks. No matter where you are in the world; Untappd can show you not only what beer is trending, but the nearest location to a great new beer.
Beer is becoming one of the highest tourist attractions in the world. Especially in the USA! A great example is the state of Vermont. Vermont was named the craft beer capital of the USA. Vermont produces the most beer per capita than any other state in the country. In non-tech terms. You can basically through rock and you will find a brewery in the state. Breweries are exploding everywhere and not just Vermont. #DrinkVermontBeer #Vermont
Vermont has been known for its Green Mountains, maple syrup and skiing. Vermont has always been a high tourist destination state. As big cities and corporate America started to build; people started moving to cities like NYC and Boston. Travel became easier with automobiles and trains; Vermont’s economy shifted. People started to travel here for the quiet and the beauty of the mountains. The Vermont brand was formed. Artisan goods were being created in the traditional manner such as cheese and syrup. City people were coming from all over the country to take a piece of Vermont home.
In the 1930s the ski industry was born. Vermont having not only the climate for skiing, the mountains and the technology changed their economic impact yet again. People started traveling here year-round. Now the dynamic is starting to change again. Beer is becoming one of the leading tourist attractions for the state. According to the Vermont Brewers Association. Craft Beer is ranking higher than the ski industry and syrup. Not to say that people are not traveling for those still. Beer has a wider demographic. This combined with the fact that we have a wide variety of craft breweries is why beer is taking the lead for Vermont’s economic growth. This, of course, is just my opinion on the matter.
With the boom of beer, there is a boom of beer events such as Brewfest, Oktoberfest and so on. Brewer’s festivals are not even limited to summertime anymore. Vermont is home to several winter brewers fest. The boom of social media makes these events even more enticing. When you see your friends having a great time at a brewery or a festival it is hard to not want to go on a beer hunt yourself. This is how beercations are born.
I myself have been on a few beercations. People are traveling all over the world for GREAT beer. America has become one of the biggest beer destinations in the world. If you google top things to do in Vermont, for example, you are going to find a long list of breweries to visit mixed in with some great sites. I have a dream to one day visit Nashville Tennessee. I googled things to do in Nashville. Alongside a list including the Grand Ole Opry was a list of brewers and brew tours that populated. You can plan a beercation as easy as a few clicks. Even to Europe. Instagram is full of brewers and brewing destinations. #CraftBeer has 23.2M posts. Of these posts, you will find photos from all over the world. Pictures of craft beer. From craft beer lovers. From countries such as England, Germany, Russian, China and of course all over America. The added bonus is, now with automatic apps like Google Translate attached to forms like Facebook and Instagram. We can translate a post in a matter of seconds. There is no language barrier when it comes to beer. Who doesn’t love a good beer? Now when you see a pic of a tasty looking brew. You’re now a click away from finding it. A couple more clicks and you have booked yourself a trip to somewhere new all in the name of beer! #BeerTravel
The power of communication and awareness has created the uproar of great breweries worldwide. Beer is nothing new. What is new; is how we are finding great beer. This is changing the economy worldwide. What is fascinating to me; is how these small and independent brewers are influencing the global economy.
Combined with the power of social media people are literally traveling for beer. Creating new travel destinations daily. Even some of the most rural locations have people traveling miles to get their hands on a brew. A great example of this would be microbrewers like Hermit Thrush in Brattleboro, VT. On Untappd, Hermit Thrush has a total of 113k check-ins overall. 90k ratings have been done overall. With 2500 check-ins within the last four weeks. This is significant! When you consider that the population of Brattleboro doesn’t even equate closely to the number of people checked in by the app. Hermit Thrush Brewery has only been around for the last five years and just look at the local impact they have made.
Another example is Branch and Blade Brewing Co. from Keene, NH just twenty minutes from Brattleboro, Vermont. This brewery has been in business for almost a year. On the Untappd app they have had a total of 16k check-ins. 13k ratings overall and 355 check-ins within the past four weeks. When I pulled up the app on my phone, both breweries are listed for their currently trending brews in the area. To really put that into perspective from my home to Hermit Thrush is about 25 miles. From Branch and Blade to my home is about 50 miles. People are getting this notification on their phones just as I did. If you want to visit a city or town you can pull up brewers just by the name of the location. I live in the middle of nowhere. Just within a 5-mile radius, I was able to pull up breweries and locations with great brews on tap.
This is where the next turning point for the craft beer industry is coming into play. Brew Tour Operators. After a decade of great beer and social media to show it off. Now, what the world needs are some designated drivers to escort you on your beer excursions. As beer has transformed from something we simply drink to something we now experience. People, as I have demonstrated, are traveling more for beer. This has caused an increase in what I call beercations. Beer tourism is here to stay! The people have spoken and they want to experience beer on a higher level. They want to know the ins and outs of the process and become immersed in the culture. This trend is similar to the wave of wine tours.
People want to know where their food and drink are coming from. Tour operations such as Country Brew Tours are here to help you immerse yourself. They want you to experience and create memories to last. Tour operations allow you to travel to many breweries in one trip without the worry of how to get to and from safely. This is why there have been more tour operations popping up. Now, much like the National Brewers Association; there is the National Craft Beverage Association. Companies like Untappd are starting to recognize tour operators on their app. Tour operations are a lot more fun and safe than a DUI. If you are on the hunt for the latest and greatest brews in the area, consider traveling with Country Brew Tours. We are servicing not only Vermont but New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts as well. This is a great way for you to check out locations you may otherwise not have. Several of our tour guests have found new favorite hot spots, close to home through traveling with us. Others from out of town have found that by traveling with us they can experience all that the area has to offer including what they came for. GOOD TIMES AND GREAT BEER.
#AleAboard #CountryBrewTours
Visit www.countrybrewtours.com for more information on a tour near you. Keep an eye out on Untappd as we join the Untappd team. Untappd’s slogan happens to be Discover Beer. Our mission is to have you, our guests discover the beautiful culture of graft beer and create memories you can cherish forever. Plan your next beercation with us. If you do not see a tour that suits your needs never fear. We can plan a private tour just for you. Added bonus, you will have me as your personal guide.
Till our next adventure friends.
-Sarah E. Blair
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