Can Older Craft Breweries Keep Up With New Trends?

Craft beer may seem like a recent phenomenon, but it’s older than people think. As early as 1979, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was brewing its pale ale. Now the second-best selling craft beer in the U.S. A few years later, Jim Koch founded the Boston Beer Company and launched Samuel Adams.

Today, the market for craft beer has exploded. There are now about 4,200 breweries in the U.S., and it seems like new ones open almost every day. With so many options, it’s easier than ever for consumers to constantly try new beers—and harder for individual brewers to stand out. 

One would think that older, larger craft breweries would be best-positioned to succeed amid this new competition. But if anything, they have struggled. As small craft operations experiment with new and exciting recipes, some of the original pioneers of the movement are feeling left behind, and are taking a hard look at their existing branding.

For instance, Market Watch explained that Sierra Nevada has been updating its brands and labels in recent years to keep up with changing tastes. Now, it offers high-IBU IPAs, pilsners and even a gose alongside its flagship ale. Deschutes Brewery, located in Bend, Oregon, recently redesigned all of the labels on its bottles so that each style of beer has its own design, color and typeface, according to Brew Public.

Any brewer looking to stand out in this crowded market needs to design bottles that will catch the consumer’s eye. This requires a high-quality label printer. At DuraFast, we carry a wide selection of printers and printing supplies to help your labels stand out. Contact us today!