At The Monk, we’re always on the hunt to discover our latest favourite beer. Quite often, these favourites come from small, independent craft breweries – some that you may have never heard of before, but that you can bet have a great story behind them.
Today’s craft beer scene just wouldn’t be the same without these awesome local breweries – so here’s 5 reasons to drink local beer:
1. Support your hometown!
One of the most obvious benefits of buying local is, of course, you are helping local small businesses (or breweries in this case). We’ve never met a craft brewer that wasn’t head-over-heels passionate about their trade – so why not support these enthusiastic folks?
Plus, many craft breweries often value sustainability, use alternative sources of energy and prioritize recycling and composting – in our book, that’s drinking for a good cause!
2. Because there’s usually a story behind it!
Whenever you drink a craft beer, you should always check out the label first, as many tell a story completely on their own.
Craft brewers may even have their packaging designed by local artists and many labels don’t even highlight their own brewery logo at all.
You’ll also find creative (and sometimes hilarious) names, especially for limited releases and seasonal beers. This is one instance where you can totally judge a book by its cover – or rather, a beer by its name.
3. To stop overpaying for beer!
The next time you go to place a beer order, keep an eye on the prices listed on the menu. When a ubiquitous domestic beer is listed for say, only $1 less than a local craft beer, you can be sure that you probably aren’t getting a very good deal.
There are plenty of reasons craft beers often come with premium pricing – greater distribution costs, higher-quality ingredients, a more hands-on production process… just to name a few. But it’s the old adage, you get what you pay for.
If a bar or restaurant is charging the same price for a big-name beer as they are for a craft beer, you might as well order that local IPA and get bit more bang for your buck.
4. To think drink outside the box!
Beer should be appreciated, savoured, and enjoyed – and there’s just nothing like sipping a carefully formulated craft beer infused with an exotic flavor or unusual ingredient.
Smaller breweries are extremely flexible and have the ability to try new (and sometimes funky) recipes and styles. You don’t have to be a full-fledged beer snob to appreciate the different options or seasonal varieties that a local brewer provides.
Plus, something made closer to home is likely much fresher – meaning, it will taste the way that it was intended to.
5. To help learn what you like
There’s no lack of options when it comes to beer – hoppy beers, sours, IPAs, porters, wheat beers – the list goes on. And within these sometimes-loose classifications comes an endless number of subcategories and regional variations.
Local craft beer often offers a wider range of beer types and flavours so that you can zero-in on what you most enjoy (and maybe even more importantly, what you don’t like).
Samplers and flights are a great way to help you directly compare different types – and also a great way to taste funky beers that you may have been reluctant to purchase a full pour of.
At The Monk, we whole-heartedly believe no one should feel overwhelmed or confused when looking at a seemingly endless beer list – and everyone should have a favourite beer (…or four)!
Do you have any reasons to drink local beer which we haven’t mentioned above? Let us know in the comments!
Leave a Reply