Lots of interesting stuff in this one . . .

[9/1 Update: Here’s Part II]

Thanks to @Hoptopia for alerting me to this video featuring Victory Brewing President/Brewmaster, Bill Covaleski. I’m still in the process of watching this but I’ve already picked up two interesting tidbits. First, Covaleski mentions Missouri and Arizona as two states that have been identified as ready for their beers. This would suggest that there is a possibility that, with the most recent brewery expansion, Victory beers could make their way to shelves in those two states.

Secondly, at the 16:30…tipping point talk! I alluded to the fast rise and downfall of craft beer in the mid-late 90s but failed to go into why that happened. 1996 was the “high water mark” for brewery openings in the U.S. since prohibition, according to Covaleski, and 1997 was the highest year for brewery closures. Breweries expanded too fast and lost sight of quality control. Others that had no business making beer on a production scale got into the business without the necessary skills.

This also marks Gary Vaynerchuk’s second beer video in the past month. With nearly 5,000 views and 300+ comments on the last beer video, it’s interesting to see the wine/tech guru giving craft beer more play airtime and great exposure with the wine-drinking crowd. Vaynerchuk sells beer at his family’s store, Wine Library, in New Jersey.