The U.S. set a record for the number of active breweries this year, and the leader of a Wisconsin brewing organization says it’s not really a surprise. The Brewers Association says there are now 4,144 in the country, breaking a record that dates back to 1873.
Wisconsin Brewers Guild executive director Mark Garthwaite says the growth is the result of a booming craft beer industry, which is supported by people who want quality, local products. “It’s inspiring to see local small business, like local breweries, popping up all over the place.”
Garthwaite notes that the nation is kind of “recalibrating” right now to the way things were before prohibition. Before the early 1900s, he says most communities had their own brewery or one nearby.
Wisconsin has about 130 breweries right now. Garthwaite says the growth rate for the state is actually lagging behind the national average.
Contributed by Rick Schuh, WHBY