Humans have been drinking beer for ages. The exact timeline is impossible to know, but archaeologists have found evidence of beer production dating back at least 10,000 years.
Though its history is extensive, the last few decades have been a boon for brewing. By 2020, the number of breweries in the country had grown to 9,092, up from 1,566 in 2000, according to the Brewers Association, a national nonprofit focused on U.S. brewers. However, in recent years that growth has slowed.
Just after the onset of COVID in early 2020, beer industry sales declined by nearly $20 billion, according to a 2022 study "Beer Serves America" by the Beer Institute, a national trade association. In Washington alone, beer sales decreased by more than $450 million in the same time.
Since the wounds the pandemic inflicted onto breweries nationwide have yet to fully heal, brewers have had to get crafty. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions, but here are a few ways Spokane-area breweries are bucking those beer trends.
MORE THAN BEER
Declining beer sales have been lurking in the shadows for the last few years, but Nick Coons, co-owner of Hat Trick Brewing in West Central Spokane, says it's been an opportunity for breweries to adapt.
"It just forces us to be a little bit more open-ended in how we approach running our business," Coons says. "I mean, we can't focus on just making beer, there has to be other stuff that you have to offer. Having great food and good other reasons for people to come out rather than just sitting at the bar and drinking beer is important."
Whistle Punk Brewing's owner Matthew Hanson agrees: Food of some kind is a must if breweries want to attract more customers. How that food is provided is at the discretion of brewers. At Hanson's downtown Spokane location, he relies on a partnership with the next door Heritage Bar & Kitchen to provide food for his customers, but at his newer Millwood location, he's working to build a full kitchen.
It's similar at YaYa Brewing Company in Spokane Valley, which partners with its in-house restaurant Sauced! to provide Detroit-style pizza and wings to the brewery's customers. YaYa co-owner Christopher Gass says it's important for local breweries to provide more than just beer.
"We think our beer is pretty good, and we hope people like it, and we hope they come back for the beer, but we also understand that not everyone is a beer fan," Gass says. "Within our taproom, we've started stocking a variety of wine seltzers and ciders from local cideries here in Spokane."
NO- and LOW- ALCOHOL CONTENT
On top of adding ciders, seltzers and wine to the menu, local breweries are offering more no- and low-alcohol options as Generation Z looks to imbibe less.
"Statistically speaking, [Gen Z] are drinking less than other generations, so the craft beer industry is seeing a little bit of a dip in market share," says Riley Elmer, head brewer at Uprise Brewing Co. "We haven't found any sort of dip. I have, however, heard from people that they're feeling that pressure lately."
While there are a handful of nonalcoholic beverages available at local breweries, such as hop water, house-made sodas and even kombucha, low-alcohol content beers — also called session beers — are becoming more popular. These beers generally have less than 5% alcohol. For reference, Elmer says the average beer is between 5-7% alcohol by volume (ABV).
"People gravitate toward low-alcohol because they're usually kind of bouncing around to different places," says Matt Gilbreath, co-owner of Humble Abode Brewing.
Hat Trick's Coons also focuses on low-alcohol beers at his brewery because it challenges him to make a more thoughtful brew.
"If you make a big boozy beer, that's the first thing you notice, and everything else comes after that," he says. "But if you've got a beer that's 4% you're noticing everything that's in there."
AN AWARD- WINNING REGION
This one may be a no-brainer, but making quality beer matters, too. In 2024, a dozen Spokane-area breweries brought home awards from the 11th annual Washington Beer Awards held in November.
Humble Abode took home medals for its signature hazy pale ale, Life Juice; Whistle Punk got an award for its Irish red ale, and Uprise snagged second for its Vienna lager. Hat Trick took home two bronze medals, although those winning beers aren't currently being produced, Coons says.
"Basically, we don't make the same beer twice, it's just more fun for us," he explains. "We like to provide people something new, and it's something that our guests have come to appreciate about us."
Though YaYa didn't win any categories at the statewide competition this year, Gass says he's impressed by the fellow breweries that received accolades.
"You know, we like to think that we're kind of outcasts from the west side where all the contests are held, but I'm so happy with the awards our region won this year," he says. "I'm super proud of the breweries here and how they've elevated the Spokane beer market over the last five to six years." ♦
AWARD-WINNING BREWS
Here's all the local winners from the 2024 Washington Beer Awards
BIG BARN BREWING
Second Place, American-Style Fruit Beers: Strawberry Blonde
Second Place, American-Style Imperial Porters & Imperial Stouts: Black Dog Stout
BRICK WEST BREWING
First Place, German-Style Oktoberfests/Wiesns: Festbier
First Place, German-Style Wheat Beers: Big Heart
FOUR EYED GUYS BREWING
Third Place, Seltzers: Strawberry Basil Hard Seltzer
GARLAND BREW WERKS
First Place, German-Style Maerzens: Oktoberfest
GENUS BREWING & SUPPLY
First Place, Belgian-Style Witbiers: Erinaceus V.4 Witbier
Third Place, Smoke Beers: Clavaria Fumosa
HAT TRICK BREWING
Third Place, Irish Stouts: Stouty McStouterson
Third Place, Belgian Strong & Abbey Ales: Sup Nerds
HUMBLE ABODE BREWING
First Place, Juicy or Hazy Pale Ales: Life Juice
Second Place, Pastry Stouts, Coffee & Chocolate Beers: Peanut Butter Chocolate Porter
Third Place, Belgian & French Farmhouse Ales: Rye Saison
LUMBERBEARD BREWING
First Place, Other Wood & Barrel Aged Beers: Anniversary Year 4
SNOWEATER BREWING CO.
First Place, American-Style Fruit Beers: Rylans Dandy Shandy
UPRISE BREWING CO.
Second Place, Vienna-Style Lagers: Vienna Lager
Third Place, West Coast-Style India Pale Ales: Lucid Portal
Third Place, Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Stouts: Phases of the Moon
WHISTLE PUNK BREWING
Third Place, Irish-Style Red Ales: Irish Red Ale
