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BCM and anyone else. Why hasn't the craft beer scene taken off in WV?

JLW71073

All-Conference
Aug 7, 2003
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As a brewer I've thought about this a lot. My assumption is that WV is a "blue collar" state that largely drinks mass produced beers like Bud Miller Coors (BMC).

I would think there are places around the state that would be able to support small batch craft breweries (Charleston, Morgantown, Lewisburgh). Charelston Brewing Company seems to have gained a nice foothold in Charleston but the distribution seems limited. Last time I was in Morgantown the local brewery there (name escapes me) was underwhelming. I'm not aware of anything in Lewisburgh.

It seems to me a small brew pub with good food could do well in the right location. or a brewery/farm operation with tasting events.

Virginia as an example has an exploding craft beer scene. Since 2011 they have added something like 40 new breweries across the state. They have also seen breweries like Stone Brewing in San Diego, CA open East Coast operations (largely for distribution purposes).

Anywho, just a few rambling's.

jlw
 
I don't know about the current laws of WV but years ago, basically no state allowed "micro-breweries" and that was true for WV back in the mid-80's. I remember when Georgia changed their law and we now have them and some do very,very well.
 
Nobody asked me, but I have a suspicion this craft beer craze.....which has admittedly been going on for some time......is going to crash and burn spectacularly.

I certainly hope that doesn't happen, because the entry points to the industry (in terms of facilities and product development) are obviously pretty significant, and a lot of small businessmen/businesses would therefore incur borderline incredible losses. Perhaps I feel this way because I myself drink crafts only on occasion.

OTOH, I suppose a case can be persuasively made that an old fart like me doesn't really represent their typical target customer anyway, since I myself do pay at least some attention to price (though it's not a huge issue) when it comes to the beer I buy. Beyond that, I myself don't look toward the beer I drink.....as is the case for some.....as a means to make any kind of personal statement.

In any event, I can only hope the industry as a whole is well-enough established by now....and that their products are in sufficient retail demand.....that only the sub-standard operators are in danger of leaving the segment.
 
I can't really compare it to other states, but to me it seems like it's taken off a lot in the past few years. Just about every restaurant and bar in Morgantown has something local on tap. Iron Horse Tavern, which is owned by the people from Mountain State Brewing, has twelve craft beers from eight different West Virginia breweries on tap. There was certainly nothing like that when I was a student ten years ago.

Here are the breweries I know of...

Charleston - Charleston Brewing Co
Davis - Blackwater Brewing Co
Elkins - Big Timber Brewing Co
Fayetteville - Bridge Brew Works
Lewisburg - Greenbrier Valley Brewing
Morgantown - Chestnut Brew Works
Morgantown - Morgantown Brewing Co
Parkersburg - North End Tavern & Brewery
Thomas - Mountain State Brewing
Wardensville - Lost River Brewing
Wheeling - Wheeling Brewing Co
 
Mog, thanks for the list. I'll start seeking all of these breweries out

when traveling through West Virginia.

That distillery story you posted on the OT board I wonder if that also applies to the breweries?
 
Re: Mog, thanks for the list. I'll start seeking all of these breweries out

From what I read, the distillery's issues applied just to liquor, but I'm sure brewers face their own issues. I'd read that up until 2009, the highest alcohol content for beer you could sell in the state was 6.0%. A new law that removed that limit helped spur the local industry.
 
Re: Mog, thanks for the list. I'll start seeking all of these breweries out

From what I read, the distillery's issues applied just to liquor, but I'm sure brewers face their own issues. I'd read that up until 2009, the highest alcohol content for beer you could sell in the state was 6.0%. A new law that removed that limit helped spur the local industry.

That was my understanding as well. Once that restriction was lifted we started seeing a lot more craft brews around.

I think that goes back to the original point. I think it's partly due to WV just being blue collar and largely economically depressed, but also simply that we were late to the game and people have been slow to try the new beers that became readily available.

For anybody that's a fan of DogFishHead, the liquor store in Nutter Fort told me that a distributor in Charleston was applying to be a distributor for them. We may have DFH on our shelves very soon. If that happens, I will be extremely happy.

Mog ... thanks for the list. I'll be searching some of these out. I knew about Blackwater and the NET in Parkersburg, but didn't know about most of those.
 
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