Iron Horse Brewery’s Dream for Craft Beer

January 27, 2016

Craft beer can do many things, but would you believe me if I told you that it teaches us to enjoy life and enjoy each other more? It’s true. So many of us connect with old friends and meet new friends over craft beer that we hardly notice it anymore. Not only is craft beer a social lubricant, it also acts as a bonding agent—helping us to understand each other on deeper levels. Please tell me how you’re going to do that with an appletini?!?

That’s why I wanted to share a blog post from Iron Horse Brewery’s Connie Morgan on one of the world’s most divisive realities, the issue of race in society: “I Have a Dream for Craft Beer”. As an African American woman in the brewing industry, Morgan takes a look at statistics within Iron Horses’s own fan base as well as craft beer as a whole and asks why there’s not a bigger minority presence in the industry.

“It’s not just Iron Horse Brewery with a predominantly Caucasian fan base, a lack of color is an issue with virtually every craft brewer in America, writes Morgan. “White people make up roughly 60% of the population but they drink 80% of the craft beer according to a Nielsen study commissioned by the Brewers Association. I’ve read other studies that claim the craft beer audience is 90% white. We know black people like to drink beer though, about 13% of the U.S. population identify as black and black people make up about 11% of the domestic beer market.”

I don’t dispute the numbers, or the perception that craft beer is skewed to one race. Morgan suggest a cultural disconnect may be a reason: “Although I have no hard evidence of this, I have a hunch that many black people view craft breweries just like they do Seinfeld or tents; things white people are oddly obsessed with and any blatant interest in them would label you as an “Oreo” or “white washed.”

As the infatuation with craft beer spreads across the world, I believe that other nationalities, races and classes have become more interested in craft beer. But the question remains, how does craft continue to grow without making those who feel left out not feel like they are demographic to be marketed to?

No matter the reasoning or hurdles involved, I think as craft beer fans we, in particular, can have an understanding and appreciation of diversity. We all benefit from the diversity and the ability to share our ideas, views and dreams over a craft beer.

Read Morgan’s entire post entitled: “I Have a Dream for Craft Beer” and many other posts from Iron Horse Brewery on their blog.

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