Changes are brewing in the beer industry!
In case you haven’t noticed, beer is undergoing a transition from the big brewery name brands to small brewer craft beers. The last few years have seen huge gains in market share for small microbrewers with rapid expansion to keep up with demand.
“Here at Rio Hill Wine & Gourmet, we have always had a focus on craft beers,” stated Doug Hotz. “In the last few years we have doubled our space allocated to these tasty brews. From my viewpoint, it parallels what happened in the wine industry many years before where consumers wanted wines with bigger, bolder flavors. Beer drinkers want the same – great beers that push the flavor envelope in a variety of styles.”
The beneficiary of this movement has definitely been the domestic brewers as they are willing to make small batches of various beers throughout the year, in addition to doing many seasonal brews as well. Customers at Rio Hill Wine & Gourmet have responded and are eager to try new beers.
“They know when breweries are releasing their next batch and call us to make sure they get some,” Doug added. “In Central Virginia, we have very educated and savvy consumers of both beer and wine. Things have really taken off where you have the brewers driving each other and the drinkers are driving the brewers.”
“Some breweries say they are making 10 times the beer they were 3 or 4 years ago,” Doug confirmed. “It’s obvious that consumers want quality. They want more flavor versus mass produced beers that lack flavor or complexity. It has reached the point where craft beers are being taken as seriously as fine wines. So stop in soon and we can help you with new releases.”
Rio Hill Wine is located two doors down from Dick’s Sporting Goods. For more information, call 295-8466 or visit www.wine-gourmet.com or email riohillwine@embarqmail.com.
