As the craft beer industry continues its growth in 2023, brewing craft beer at home is gaining in popularity as well over the past decade. Homebrewing has become a popular hobby, with more and more people from around the world taking up the craft to create their own unique brews. An increase in resources, an improvement in equipment, and a grand sense of community are some of the many reasons homebrewing has grown so popular in the last years. The Session digs deeper, with the hope to see an even greater continued increase in homebrewing into the future!
As of 2020, the American Homebrewers Association surveyed and learned that over 1.2 million Americans brewed their own beer at home. This total has been increasing over the past several years, with more than 500,000 new homebrewers joining the community in the past decade. At The Session, we find that to be a significant number of people! With information being so readily available on websites, books, and other resources, people are able to learn about brewing so much more easily than in previous decades. Homebrewing equipment can be purchased online with much less effort than in the past. Stiff competition in the homebrew market has led to affordable prices and continued improvements to the homebrewing experience.
Starter kits are available at reasonable prices, and ingredients can be easily and sustainably sourced from any number of local homebrew shops or online retailers. Technology has also helped spur the growth in popularity of homebrewing. New machines seem to be entering the marketplace in a rapid rate, each boasting the ability to brew delicious, unique craft beer flavors by adding pre-packaged ingredients and just a few strategic pushes of the buttons. While the writers of The Session appreciate the traditional homebrewing methods being developed since the times of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, we also understand the value of convenience when homebrewing our first batches!
Another factor contributing to the popularity of homebrewing is the sense of community that comes along with it. Homebrewers—as we hope many of our readers are—tend to be a proud, confident, impressive bunch! Homebrewers often participate in regional meetups, competitions, and largescale events to share their creations and to learn from eachother. This sense of community can be especially important for those who may not have easy access to craft breweries or other beer-related activities.
In conclusion, statistics show that the overwhelming support of homebrewing craft beer will continue its growth through the near future. Companies are intelligent to be working to make available more beer resources and to continue introducing innovative equipment to the marketplace. The 1.2M + homebrewers in the America alone, along with massive amount from around the world, will be the fuel to help create unique flavors for the whole craft beer community to enjoy. The homebrewing future is bright!
Cheers!
