Craft brewers are confident their specialized beer can compete with bigger national breweries. Dilba believes the bigger chains have pushed their selling power to the biggest possible market, and the real competition is now among craft beers.

While larger companies have combined facilities, Volke thinks smaller breweries will stay small. Chaining together to increase competition against the bigger breweries does not seem feasible. “Their logistics wouldn’t warrant it, they don’t make enough beer to do that,” he says, adding brewery competition is not cutthroat. “In Wisconsin, everyone’s unique, and they all get along.”

And it seems brewers enjoy a small niche market: Wisconsin alone has approximately 70 smaller breweries. Even combined, however, they still do not make as much money as the international companies, Volke says. Microbreweries, therefore, hope to profit by convincing people to shy away from the larger companies.

The potential for success looks bright for the little guys, as people continue to try craft beers and enjoy each brewery’s nuances. And brewing is developing into a popular hobby for consumers. The MBAA even holds a brewing class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for people wanting to try their hand at creating their own beer.

For those intrigued but unsure of how to dive into brewing, Volke suggests attending a beer fest, where portion sizes are small and choices are plenty. The important thing, he says, is to get people interested in the beer in their communities.

Klisch is confident experienced beer drinkers will continue to buy these specialized brews. “Wisconsin loves beer,” he points out. “For a long time there wasn’t a small guy here, and [now] people are really discovering the styles and types of beer.”

Those who begin to enjoy the world of craft brewing will see their loyalties shift, Dilba says, and that benefits both the brewery and its consumer.

“You find three or four more craft beers. Now you’ll see that you’re purchasing Miller Lite less and less,” Dilba says. “You’ll basically stop drinking the light beer product once you get interested in the flavors. You’ve basically graduated from processed meat.”

1  |  2  |  3