CEO Roundtable: The evolution of the craft-beer drinker

BOULDER — As millennials start families and Zoomers, raised during the era of smartphones and pandemic lockdowns, come of age, Boulder Valley brewers are challenged with how to convert these evolving demos into craft-beer drinkers. 

“I don’t know what the magic bullet is,” Crystal Springs Brewing Co. owner Tom Horst said Tuesday during BizWest’s Brewing CEO Roundtable held at Bank of Colorado’s Boulder offices, “but you have to be aware of the trends and know what people want.”

While studies may indicate younger people are drinking less than previous generations, brewers said that accepting that trend at face value might be oversimplying the issue. 

It’s “a cop out” to just throw your hands up and declare that Generation Z just doesn’t drink — they’re likely just drinking differently than older cohorts, Very Nice Brewing Co. owner Jeffrey Green said. “I think it’s a financial thing more than anything else.”

For decades, craft brewers have tried to train beer drinkers to ditch their macro-brewed pilsners and pick up an IPA, to “embrace quality over quantity,” he said. “And I think to a large extent we were successful in doing that. And then we outpriced (young people on tight budgets) and they’re going back to 30 packs.”

Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co. owner Davin Helden said he recently spent some time around the University of Colorado campus and noticed that “these kids are pounding beers.” But, unfortunately for local craft brewers, they’re likely pounding Busch Light, not an artisanal kölsch.

The good news is that young people are increasingly looking for reasons to get out from behind their screens and socialize in person, Deep Roots Distilling Ltd. co-owner Craig Naylon said. “Theyre looking for a real community, real people to talk to,” and brewery taprooms often provide that opportunity.

“I’ve been to hundreds of breweries around the country,” Horst said, “and one of the common denominators is that people are just sitting around talking, no phones, no screens.”

The other benefit of getting people into the taproom door is that customers are able to build a relationship with local brewers and brands.

“You guys are local heroes — people walk in and they’re proud to know the brewer,” Boulder Chamber CEO John Tayer said.

While implementing creative ways to get customers into taprooms is a tried-and-true approach for brewers, local operators acknowledge that craft-centric gathering places might not appeal to everyone.

“Craft breweries might be lame for some 21-year-olds because they think, ‘This a place where my dad would drink,’” Cellar West Artisan Ales founder Zach Nichols said. “… I’m regularly having to reimagine what our place is, what purpose we serve for our consumers.”

One group that doesn’t take much convincing to get into a taproom is millennials with young children. 

“Just because you get married and have a kid, doesn’t mean you don’t want to go out and have a beer,” Green said.

While it might be an expensive investment, many local breweries with outdoor spaces for kids to play on while parents hang out in the shade are regularly packed during Colorado’s warm months, participants acknowledged. 

While demographic challenges and economic headwinds persist, local brewers said they’re slightly more optimistic about the industry. 

“Overall, I feel generally better than the last two years,” Helden said, while accepting that conditions could get worse before the brewing sector rebounds in earnest. 

BizWest’s CEO Roundtable event series in the Boulder Valley is sponsored by Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, Bank of Colorado and Plante Moran.

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