Craft Beer Industry Continues To Expand
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--The craft beer industry continues to explode.
There are about 2,500 breweries in the United States and more than a dozen in Philadelphia and the surrounding area.
It's become a crowded field but industry experts say there's still room for more.
"They're sprouting up like mushrooms, these new microbrews."
Jim Crossland and Brian Susevick are a couple of newcomers who recently opened Naked Brewing in Huntingdon Valley. They are already gaining traction at local taprooms and distributors.
"Bars that love craft beer and have a lot of tap space are constantly rotating out. You might get a keg in there once a month and rotate it in depending on what you want and if you understand that you can do it that way."
Chris Dominski, manager of the Grey Lodge Pub in Frankford, says it's important for new breweries to understand the in and out nature of the business.
"As long as they turn over we'll keep trying to get them back in. There's so many of them now it's hard to keep one dedicated line for one brewery."
It's a bit easier for startups to find space in distributorships, but Bella Vista's Jordan Fetfatzes says it takes persistence and consistency to stick around.
"You've got to make good beer over and over again. And when consumers try something they've got to know they can go back that beer and drink it again the same way they had it previously."
There's another round of expansion coming with more than 15 new breweries set to open soon in the area.
