Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Carey Ashworth (left) and Jason Corral (right), owners of Columbus House Brewing Company, inspect the beer tanks in their brewery room. The two plan on beginning brewing in January and plan to make about 400 barrels of beer a year.
Northwest Arkansans have a bevy of craft beer beverages to choose from, and it seems to only be picking up from here. With seven microbreweries open and two more on their way, Northwest Arkansas has become a thriving market for craft beer enthusiasts.
The region is in line with the national growing trend of microbrewery popularity. In November, the United States passed the mark of 3,200 brewers in the country and the number of brewery licenses reached the highest ever, topping 4,500 in the first sixth months of the year, according to data collected by the Brewers Association.
The trend doesn’t show signs of slowing down either, as breweries are opening at a rate of 1.5 per day. Plus, there are more than 2,000 breweries still in the works.
Craft brewers were the growth point in the overall beer industry. Through June of 2014, craft brewers enjoyed 18 percent growth by volume, according to the Brewers Association.
“Fayetteville has a younger, hip vibe and younger demographic than the rest of the metropolitan area,” said Kathy Deck, director of the Center for Busines and Economic Research at the UofA. “Local entreprenuers here create the kinds of businesses that thrive in funky college towns. When we think about microbreweries, we think of Colorado and the west coast, places with growing populations of young people. Fayetteville has the right kind of demographics for businesses like microbreweries to thrive in.”
Although Fayetteville has become the niche market in the Northwest Arkansas region for microbreweries, Bentonville has made an effort to attract similar kinds of businesses Fayetteville has been pursuing, Deck said.
The roster of brewers in Northwest Arkansas includes Fossil Cove, Apple Blossom, West Mountain, Core, Saddlebock, Ozark Beer and newcomer Bike Rack in Bentonville. Soon to join them will be Columbus House in Fayetteville and Bentonville Brewing Company. There are more than 20 breweries in Arkansas.
Tanglewood Branch, a microbrewery that operated in south Fayetteville for two years closed its doors in October after losing its lease.
Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Jason Corral organizes a few of the Columbus House growlers underneath the taproom bar. Growlers contain up to 64 ounces of beer, or four pints.
Jason Corral, co-owner of Columbus House Brewery, said he plans to open in Fayetteville because he loves living in the city and wants to stick around as long as he can. The name comes from a house he lived in during his undergrad at the University of Arkansas, and said he plans on keeping it a welcoming and open atmosphere like the house was during college.
“I’m really excited about the whole aspect of making beer,” he said. “Producing it, trying it, serving it to people and seeing how people react and trying new things and building the brand. Frankly, Carey and I realized we’re a little late to the game in Fayetteville and nationally. There’s more pressure on us when we show up on the scene to be ready and be making a good, consistent product. The scene has developed a lot, and we need to be ready to match that.”
Columbus House will begin brewing in January, and ideally open and server beer in late January or early February, Corral said.
Most breweries in the area feature more unique brews apart from the national popularity of the watery lager style of commercial beer. India pale ales, brown ales, pale ales, and the darker stouts and porters are popular choices by microbreweries.
Nationally, India Pale Ales (IPAs) remained the most favored craft beer style. According to retail scan data, the IPA is up 47 percent by volume and 49 percent in sales, accounting for 21 percent volume share of craft beer and a 23 percent dollar share of off-premise beer sales. Additionally, the style was the number one entered category at the Great American Beer Festival.
“Not everyone likes the bitterness of IPA’s. It’s a little exclusive. People tend to get passionate about them because you feel like you’re in a club,” Corral said. “You feel like you can understand something that maybe not everyone understands. There’s so many different kinds of hops you can brew with, too. It can be floral, earthy or citrusy as well as other little aromas or it can have a high alcohol content. There’s a broad palette you can work with.”
The trend of microbrewery popularity is projected to keep getting better, too. According to a Brewers Association study, by 2020, craft beer production is expected to more than double its current shares.
“I think we fit in with national trends,” Deck said. “When you look at our microbrewering compared to other funky college towns you see the growth potential. You see it in communities like Charlottesville, Va., a college town, that also has a thriving microbrewery scene.”
