Craft Breweries Are Dying

Could lessons learned from startups save them?

Photo by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash

In my market of Portland, Oregon, we have arguably some of the best brewers and beers in the world, as well as the seventh most breweries of any state. At the same time, we are seeing a mass extinction within our city. Some of the oldest breweries and brewpubs in the area have gone out of business in the last year. Portland staples that shaped the climate and local industry, like Portland Brewing Company, Widmer, and Bridgeport, are a few that have closed part, if not all, of their operations.

It leads to a lot of questions as to what is happening in the industry. How is it that these long-standing, established breweries are going under? Is there any hope for the new breweries opening in the area? With over 120 breweries in the Portland metro area, how does everyone get a fair share? Every market is unique, but for this market, there is going to have to be a revolution in the way owners think.

Traditional Buying Habits Have Changed

People no longer decide which beer they are going to buy based on name alone. There are a multitude of new beers debuting, new styles are coming in and out of popularity, and a feeling has emerged suggesting if you don’t get what’s new right now, you’re not going to have a chance to get it in…