The Allure Of Destination Breweries As Rural Economic Engines

Craft beer fans seeking different flavors are accustomed to hitting the road to taste offerings from breweries both near and far from home. Special releases of new and limited-run creations are a big draw, but so too are the breweries themselves. As the craft beer industry has blossomed over the past decade, so too have options for such visits. The Brewers Association, a national trade association for craft beer-related businesses, reported that in 2017, craft consumers visited three-and-a-half breweries near their homes and two-and-a-half breweries within two hours' driving distance on average."Beer tourism" is one label for the phenomenon of people planning getaways around visiting craft breweries, as is the punchier "beercation." In 2016, Travelocity established a "beer tourism index," which identified the top destinations for craft beer in the United States. (Madison was ranked ninth among large metro areas.)