Craft Beer Brewing
Paper Two: Cause and Effect
Fermented beverages have played a part in every civilization. The evolution of fermentation by human hands has been a diverse one. From the first fermented beverage, mead, found in ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Sumerian records to today’s micro-brewed barley-based ales, fermented beverages have seen tremendous growth. Today, micro craft breweries are displacing the competition from big brewers in America (Kain n.p.). The number of craft breweries in America has more than doubled since 2011 due to ease of access to the equipment, and craft breweries are creating thousands of jobs, contributing millions of dollars to the U.S. economy, and providing enthusiasts with a wide variety of beers. (Watson n.p.). Being immersed in craft beers over past few years, I learned about the brewing process and started home brewing as a hobby.
Prohibition was responsible for shutting down of many small breweries around America. Upon lifting the prohibition, federal government regulated the beer market with an iron fist. Smaller producers of beer were not successful because the regulation clearly favored the large beer producers. When Carter Administration deregulated the beer industry in 1979, it made the market available to craft brewers. Since then, craft beer exploded in popularity and has had an amazing impact on the industry (Kain n.p.).
Beer drinkers around the nation love to talk about beer, the different varieties offered by many breweries, and the beer making process itself. I’ve experienced it myself, and not just locally. When I travelled to the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest, I was consistently able to strike up conversations with strangers regarding the beer we were enjoying, and the home brewing process. Many of them also inquired about the craft beer scene in Tampa because Tampa has become well-known city in the craft beer