In recent times small brewers have been disrupting the beer industry. Due to their size and independence, they can take risks, experiment with flavours and more importantly build a strong community around a brand.

You will hear many terms like a craft brewery, micro-brewery, nano-brewery, artisan brewery or even brewpubs. Most of these terms relate to the quantity of beer a brewery produces and the brewing capacity available. Although the term does mean something to the brewery itself and even regulations it has to meet, to the average beer drinker it does not matter what name we allocate to a brewery but that they make exciting independent beer.

All of these breweries have a few things in common; they are small, independently owned, innovative and sell the majority of their beer within a local radius.

So why should we the beer drinker support our local breweries:

• Local ingredients
  Small breweries look to source ingredients from the local area with many operating in close partnership with local farms.
• Support your local economy
  By buying directly from a local brewery you keep the money in the local economy, employing local people and sourcing locally.
• Smaller carbon footprint
  Most small breweries are very aware of the impact on the planet. Not only by keeping the beer miles down in sourcing and distributing they also turn old hops and grain into animal food.
• Great choice and variety
  The beer is often brewed in small batches and many brewers have a small core range of beers always available and then supplement this with seasonal beers or special experimentation batches.
• Community and pride
  Most small breweries were set-up by a couple of people or within a family with a love for beer, taking pride in the beer they create, whilst building a community.

Given the choice of taking a beer from a large brewery created miles away by strangers to being served over a brewery shop counter or taproom bar by the brewers themselves, I will always go for the latter.

Direct sales from the brewery are what is needed, taprooms and brewery shops allow small breweries a consistent and sustainable revenue stream. The breweries themselves often become the hub of the community in some small country villages.

Nearest Brewery is not a large organisation but one tech-savvy beer lover here to help beer drinkers enjoy these often hard to find beers and to help small independent brewers connect their communities with new drinkers.

Please share this, join us on social media by letting us now your local favourite brewery and move away from boring mass-produced beers to great local independent variety.

Support Your Local Brewery!