Working at a wealth management firm that deals in securities, I am ever more aware of the sharp slump in the economy. It gets depressing! In fact, just the other day I was viewing a chart from Dow Theory Letters that showed the daily advance or retreat that the DOW has taken for the past several years. Of course there were slumps and peaks on the graph that are typical of any dynamic market…nut then came 2008. It was unsettling. The line on the graph (the graph is about 4′ X 3′) shows the DOW plummeting to suicidal deaths.
I see this, then I hear harrowing tales of unemployment (I myself was in that leaky ship a couple of months ago), I see boarded up houses, I smell the fear of recession in the air, and I find myself craving good news of any variety. Fortunately, this week it came in the form of beer…and not just from the joy I get from emptying a bottle, but from the industry itself.
Earlier this year we talked about how beer is somewhat recession retardant–maybe resilient–would be a better word. Well, we seem to be right…so far.
First of all there is this gorgeous and uplifting article on international expansion of US craft beer. Undoubtedly, America has cornered the market on craft beer. Having the most microbreweries per-capita probably comes as no surprise to any beer connoisseur; however, America is not even in the top 10 alcohol consuming nations.
- Portugal
- Luxembourg
- France
- Hungary
- Spain
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Germany
- Austria
- Switzerland
From a marketing perspective, then, it only makes sense that a brewery, regardless of its size should set its sights abroad. The Brewers Association has taken note and is marketing in China. I am thrilled. Let’s face it…our economy is in shambles, our homes our foreclosed on, and our president is being assulted with footwear, for heaven’s sake…we need something to be proud of! Why not beer?
While China is far from home, Ann Arbor, MI is not. It’s about a 40 minute drive, from where I reside. Northern United Brewing LLC, will be joining up with several brewpubs local to the area in order to begin bottling and distributing the local favorites outside of the pubs. Hopefully you’ll see their product at your local liquor store soon!
So you see…there is hope…liquid hope!
