Beer is not recession proof. Just ask the imported and domestic beer distributors. In the first half of 2009 imported beer sales were down 9.5%. The beer industry as a whole saw sales go down by 1.3%.

American Microbrew has a

different story to tell.

Micro and craft brewers continued to grow in 2009 at an impressive rate despite the recession. Microbrewers produced 5% more beer, 62,000,000 gallons, in the first half of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. This led the way for a 9% growth in total sales dollars for microbrews. Handcrafted beers remain the fastest growing segment of all alcohol sales in the U.S., out pacing wine and spirits. Microbrew has proven not only resistant to the recession but capable of sustained growth.

This is not to say the recession hasn’t affected microbrew. On the contrary it has slowed the rate of growth dramatically. In 2006, the last full year prior to the recession, micro sales saw an increase of 17.8% in one year alone. This was the peak of a three year period that saw an overall increase of 31.5%. As the economy emerges from the recession, microbrew is well positioned to return to these higher rates of growth.

Growing regional microbrewers such as Sierra Nevada and Boulevard Brewing reach out with new products to an increasingly curious beer drinking public. As first time customers are won over by hand crafted products they become more likely to experiment with other microbrews, expanding the consumer base. This article about Sam Adams illustrates a coming reality for a few of our greatest microbreweries.

American alcohol consumers have clearly embraced microbrew as the beer of the future. With a new record of over 1500 brewpubs and microbreweries with literally thousands of handcrafted beers in the U.S. for the public to try, it is easy to see the growth potential for the industry.

Tallgrass Brewing wants to know. And if so, which other brew should loose it’s seat at the bar?

At Barnyardbeer.com we believe that Buffalo Sweat is the finest beer yet out of this relatively new brewery. It would be a shame to see this creamy smooth Midwestern stout disappear. We also understand that they have limits as a small business and choices like this must weigh heavy on the heart.

A buffalo stampede

Barnyard Brewmaster Heath says “Buffalo Sweat is an ideal creamy stout that reminds me of some of the finest West Coast micros. But the grain  combination creates a smooth Midwestern style stout that’s not as abrasive as other regionals.”

Tallgrass Brewing is one the great stories of an unsatisfied man deciding to do something bigger with his life. Jeff Gill left the exciting world of Geology to pursue his dream as a microbrewer and Tallgrass has been growing ever since. Now you can find Tallgrass beer in every county in Kansas and all over Nebraska.

Owner Jeff Gill, center, has a beer with Mike and Heath

We toured their facility and met their brew team in Manhattan. They have many products to choose from but our favorites were Buffalo Sweat stout and their IPA, which is made with choice American hops.

Tallgrass has done a great job of representing the Midwest with quality beer on the national stage. Barnyard is proud to have them in our home state, helping to raise the standards and expectations for Midwestern microbrew. We will be waiting patiently to try any new seasonals they release.

Show some love and buy a case of Buffalo Sweat from Tallgrass Brewing.

We have received loads of emails about our brew-barn thanks to this article. http://allaboutbeer.com/live-beer/brewing/brewing-features/2010/01/nanobrewing-does-size-matter/?singlePage

Here is a photo gallery of our brewing equipment.

Brewmaster Heath with the brewery right before we moved it to the Barnyard.

The top barrel is the liquor tank where we boil water. The bottom left barrel is the mashtun where the wort is filtered through the grain. The bottom right barrel is the kettle, where the wort is boiled with hops.

A peak into the mashtun at the false bottom.

Two propane powered Banjo Burners from turkey fryers are all we need to boil.

The false bottom creates a filter bed with the grain for the wort to flow through during sparge. Afterwords it allows for easy cleanup.

There are few rushes in the world like watching a foam eruption caused by a powerful fermentation.

This colorful Rooster Red trube pile is left over in the kettle after draining the wort to the fermenter. The whirlpool feature in the kettle allows the trube, hop and grain particles, to gather in the bottom center.