What’s happening in the craft brewing industry? Who’s helping to lead the way? Washington Craft Brewers Guild president Sara Nelson, co-founder of Fremont Brewing assured our team that the “craft” movement is growing. The entrepreneurial climate of “craft” creates jobs, strengthens local economies, and makes neighborhood gathering places. “Craft has revitalized communities around the country,” she said.

The Washington Craft Brewers Guild supports the Craft Brewing and Distilling Center in Tumwater. Here’s what they had to say:

“The Washington Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the interests of Washington craft breweries and strengthening the community of brewers in our great state. The Washington craft beer industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and continues to grow thanks in large part to the support the industry has received from the Legislature. Our state has 315 licensed breweries and Washington is second in the nation for total breweries. Between 2011 and 2014, Washington craft breweries increased production by 63 percent. In 2014, Washington craft breweries generated over $1.6 billion in direct economic impact in Washington State and employed 14,782 full-time employees with an average wage of over $44,000.

Over a quarter of our state’s breweries opened their doors in the last two years. In our home state market where the vast majority of beer produced in Washington is sold, it’s estimated that WA craft beer constitutes 10 percent of the 20 percent craft beer market. Not only will we see new breweries continuing to open in Washington, existing breweries will be increasing brewing capacity to meet consumer demand, adding living wage jobs and growing Washington’s reputation as a world-class producer of craft beer.

Washington’s Craft Brewing and Distilling Center will provide critical training, education, workforce development, business innovation and expansion support, and promote tourism for our industry. WA craft beer’s continued success hinges on access to a trained workforce, an emphasis on quality standards and heightened consumer awareness of the WA craft beer industry. The Center will further all of these goals, while paying homage to the proud history of Washington beer by bringing back life to the iconic Olympia Brewery.

-Annie McGrath, Executive Director
Washington Brewers Guild (February 15, 2015)
http://washingtonbrewersguild.org/