Reasons to Support Local, Independent Brewers and How You Can Help Today
When you choose to shop small, your dollar impacts your community more than you might realize. Local businesses support the local economy and give the community a place to come together and celebrate life. A small business owner pours their heart and soul into their craft, and watching people doing what they love while giving back to their neighborhood never fails to inspire.
From coast to coast, independent breweries and restaurants are on the rise as cornerstones of communities. Their inventive creativity and fun-loving spirit give their nearby residents a place to enjoy life while supporting the local economy.
Why Should I Care About Supporting Local Breweries?
Supporting local businesses helps community members fulfill their dreams and allows the economy to flourish. Breweries, gastropubs and brewpubs are no exception. When you support local breweries and restaurants, you're giving directly back to your neighbors while enjoying a tasty experience. Here are just a few of the benefits of supporting independent breweries.
A Place to Experience Community
Pubs began as a place for people from all walks of life to enjoy good company, good brews and good conversation. The name "pub" is a shortened version of the phrase "public house."
Local breweries and restaurants continue this tradition as they create a welcoming environment for friends and family to meet and give people in the community a chance to meet the beer's makers. Local breweries are also more likely to host charity events to support local businesses than chain restaurants.
Support the Local Economy
By spending $100 at a local business, on average, $68 stays in the local economy, as opposed to only $43 when shopping at a chain. Over time, this produces significant impacts.
By patronizing independent businesses, you make a difference in the lives of everyone who plays a role there. From the owners to the employees, to all the local farmers the brewery relies on for ingredients, you're making a significant contribution to your community's future.
A Higher-Quality Brew
Local breweries generally turn to local, fresh ingredients to produce a more delicious product.
Makers consider taste and quality over the bottom line when choosing the ingredients for their art. They're interested in a brew that gives the drinker a unique experience, rather than sacrificing quality for a higher profit margin. This choice results in a higher-quality beer and also supports even more local business.
Sustainable Brewing Techniques
When ingredients travel less to get to the brewery and the beer doesn't go further than across the counter to you, you're making a delicious choice that saves the environment.
Macro brews source their ingredients from wherever it's cheapest, and sometimes haul it thousands of miles to the factory. Once brewed in large batches, the beer gets trucked all across the country — or even shipped in internationally — to your big-brand supermarket or liquor store. All that transportation wastes fossil fuels and puts unneeded stress on the environment.
Big-brand disposable packaging plays another role in their substantial environmental impact.
Broader Selection of Styles and Flavors
Even if you don't consider yourself a beer lover, you have an excellent chance of finding a brew you like among a local brewery's extensive menu of exploratory tastes. Big brands typically come in one flavor — beer that only tastes palatable when cold. How could the creativity of a seasonal brew made with local, in-season ingredients compare to the same formula of mass-produced lager that hasn't changed in decades?
A Chance to Meet the Makers
You develop a greater appreciation for any art when you get to know the master behind the masterpiece. Craft beer is no different. The people who make the beer work right on-site, so your chances of meeting them are high. They're innovators and creators, and getting the opportunity to talk to them could lead to interesting conversations. Drinking beer becomes a much more personal experience when you can put a face to the individual who created it.
How Can I Support My Local Brewery?
Now that you know all the benefits local breweries help bring to the community, how can you support local craft beer in your area?
Buy directly from the brewery: A brewery will make the highest profit margin on their craft beer when you buy directly from them. Also, by visiting the brewery, you get the chance to see where the magic happens.
Pick up carryout craft beer or a pack of crowlers: Local breweries have gotten creative in finding ways for you to take the taste of their restaurant back home with you. Many places offer carryout options either in four-packs or a pack of crowlers. Both of these methods seal in the flavor, so there's no loss of quality from the brewery to your home.
Stay at the brewery, and enjoy some great beer, tasty food and quality time with friends and family: Spending time in the brewery itself allows you to fully immerse yourself in the fun-filled atmosphere the restaurant or taphouse cultivates. Breweries are more than just a location to sit and drink. Many breweries occupy repurposed warehouses or converted buildings with history. Enjoy the atmosphere and tip your bartender and waitstaff generously.
Spread the love with a gift card: Do you love your local brewery? Chances are your best friend, co-worker or family member will, too. Consider giving gift cards as presents so you can get them in the door and just as interested in the place as you are.
Hype your brewery on social media and by word of mouth: Since local breweries can't spend millions on corporate advertising, they rely on loyal customers to check in on Facebook, share their online content, leave reviews and tell friends about the latest craft brew they enjoyed the other night.
Rep some sweet merch: Not only does the money you spend on the merchandise support the business, but you're continuing your word-of-mouth promotion every time you wear it.
Attend their events: If you follow them on social media, RSVP so your friends will see you plan to attend. Maybe they'll decide to join! Heading to these events supports the brewery and gives you an excellent opportunity to spend time with other beer and food enthusiasts in the community. Frequently, breweries will partner with other local restaurants or nonprofits, giving you the chance to support more community institutions at the same time.
Where to find Local Beer? Check out Thompson Island Brewing!
Thompson Island is a local brewery in Rehoboth with a delicious on-tap selection and inventive menu to pair with our brews. By supporting local craft beer in Delaware, you're contributing to the local economy while enjoying a brew above the rest. Order carryout beer and food from our Rehoboth location to bring the tastes of Thompson Island home to your family.
