I found this on the brewers association website. I’d be curious what else there is besides “brewpubs”, “microbreweries”, and “regional breweries” because here in 2010 we added 253 to the database (assuming that’s where your numbers are coming from) compared to the 163 in their graph. I’m sure there are some that fell through the cracks and got added the year after they opened but it seems like a large discrepancy. Maybe they’re counting every BJs and Karl Strauss location as it’s own brewpub?
I’m guessing these are all made to be distinct? But yeah, the 1000 barrel/yr brewpub that sends a couple kegs across town, is that now not a brewpub? What about the brewpub that bottles special releases that have an international audience? What about a small brewery with a tap room that serves some food items but does not have a commercial kitchen license?
And are national and international craft breweries also “regional”?
Would it not be wise to wait until the end of the year before speculating that we are over the hump, it might look silly if late November and into December a shed load of new breweries opened.
The numbers add up to 1.00. If you multiply by 100, it means 8.5% of breweries were created in January, with a spike of 11.5% in July and a low of 6.4% in November. Seasonal variation, July 4th optimism, etc?
In the Netherlands I think you pay the chamber of commerce per year, so most new companies start at Jan 1st. Or at least, you dont want to do a lot of paperwork just for 1 month when you start December 1st. Don’t know if this translates to the US?
Ofcourse, addition to the RB database (= opening month according to us?) can usually be a bit later. And during summer there are a lot of festivals, so easier to get caught by the raters? That would be my hypothesis for the peak in summer.
I would assume hurricanes, wild fires, etc. had something to do with at least a few delayed openings. In my area, St. Louis, the growth has continued unabated.