But nevertheless should guide your every purchase decision.

Small, Local, Independent.

It’s true that none of these three words directly affect the taste and quality of your Craft beer (or Craft Coffee). But they absolutely affect your community, your life, your city and your planet.

Large, far away breweries can make fantastically tasty, high quality beer. In fact they ca make it far more consistently than a small, local, independent brewery. They have the resources, cash, people, systems, equipment and science to make awesome beer perfectly, every time. And they almost always do. Large, far away and big beer owned breweries typically make absolutely delicious tasty craft beer. In massive quantities. Over and over again. Without change. From direct experience at our brewery, that’s freakishly hard to do.

I have absolutely nothing against any large, far-away and/or big beer owned brewery. Nor against any large, far-away, big coffee owned roastery. Almost all of them do a fantastic bang-up job. As a bonus those same companies tend to pay their employees more and provide awesome benefits. Which is ultra rad.

But in a world with myriad choices, most of which are high quality well made products, it is even more important to weigh your votes and spend them for those businesses and causes that provide maximum positive change and benefit. Of course you can spend your money and buy any craft beer or craft coffee you want, regardless of location, size or ownership control. That’s the glory of having disposable income. You get to spend it how you see fit. (well mostly)

And that there is the best part. You get to decide where, to whom, for what and why your dollars support companies and people around you.

Overtime you buy a product you are casting a vote. The most powerful vote each individual has in the marketplace.

You vote with your dollars.

Since you have the privilege of getting to vote with your hard-earned dollars it behooves you, your community, and your world to vote with intention. To vote for the most positive effect you can have. To vote selfishly. To vote for maximum return near and for you. Small local craft beer not only makes rad tasty beers, they also make rad tasty communities. Support them.

Buying from a local, small, independent craft brewery makes a huge difference.

 

Yes I’m likely preaching to the choir. Yes you have heard this before. Yes you should still actively buy craft beer from small, local and independent breweries.

Not because the big beer bros are bad.

But because the local beer friends are better.

Small, local craft beer has a human advantage. How about this: If you don’t care at all and stick by the “as long as the beer tastes good.” mantra, then walk into your nearest quality focused small, local independent brewery ask for the owner and tell him that same line. That you don’t care about the people making the beer, you only care about how that beer tastes in your mouth. No matter how much sweeter the small, local, independent craft beer is. You like your beer with a side of bitter.

And if the owner isn’t there because they live in another state? Then I think you found your answer.