If you drink beer, any beer, you’ve probably heard of the craft beer revolution, and you likely fall into one of two camps: IPA warrior or lager loyalist. The great thing about a beer-related revolution is that there’s no downside. Whatever your preference, kudos to you.
The booming brewing business is indeed a revolution in many ways. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States increased by 390% between 2010 and 2020, while beer consumption, on average, declined. As of 2019, over 90% of California’s population lived within 10 miles of a craft brewery.
Like all revolutions, this too began as a desire for change – as an overthrow of the old and of monopoly. In 2010, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the world’s largest beer companies, accounted for approximately 77% of total US beer sales. In 2020, that share was 60%, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share towards the end of the decade.
With a taste of craft brewing innovations and variety, consumers are demanding a higher quality product and are willing to pay more for it. Over the past decade, beer prices have increased by 33%.
The rise in the number of microbreweries, taprooms, brewpubs and craft breweries, the sector has also led to huge employment growth over roughly the same period, with a 55% increase in the number of employees in Brewery. The industry has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic’s shutdowns and social distancing restrictions. On-site spending accounted for 50% of the craft beer industry’s total sales in 2019. In 2020, the industry took a roughly $6 billion hit and cut over 22,000 jobs.
Another important by-product of the explosion of the craft beer industry is the sense of community it has fostered. Supporting small businesses like local breweries and taprooms is a way for people to connect around beer, to appreciate the revival of the millennial tradition of brewing.
If you’ve ever been curious about which beers are most popular in your home country, we have the answer. Stacker compiled a list of Massachusetts’ top-rated beers using ratings from BeerAdvocate. 9 of the 10 beers on the list are made by Tree House Brewing Company.
#ten. Headroom (Trillium Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.6 / 5 (790 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.0%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#9. Doubleganger (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.61 / 5 (1,194 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.2%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#8. JJJuliusss! (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.63 / 5 (1,028 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 6.8%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#seven. Julius (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.65 / 5 (4,969 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 6.8%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#6. Juice Machine (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.66 / 5 (1,238 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.2%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#5. Very Green (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.66 / 5 (1,583 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.6%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#4. Very GGGreennn (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.69 / 5 (353 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.3%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#3. Very Hazy (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.69 / 5 (1,217 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.6%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#2. King Julius (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.71 / 5 (1,473 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.3%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
#1. King JJJuliusss (Tree House Brewing Company)- Rating: 4.72 / 5 (813 ratings)- Type of beer: IPA – New England- ABV: 8.4%- Learn more about BeerAdvocate
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