Craft beer’s meteoric rise to has been well documented here. Not just nationally, but internationally. We’ve covered why it’s happening, what to expect and where to expect it next. We’ve also covered the complications that are arising from it’s growth. Quartz just posted the graphic below, which shows the historical spread of craft beer across the US. In 1980 you can see it was only in California and Colorado. By 1995, it was in every state except two. By 2012 the number of barrels had increased so much that the color of the map has changed.
Take a look at Washington State. The total number of barrels actually decreases from 2000 to 2005. Without researching it, why is that? Rainier beer became Olympia Brewing Company in 1999 and finally closed in 2003. Perhaps that was the reason? Let us know in the comments!
