The Craft: A study of craft breweries in South Florida

Microbreweries are one of the fastest growing industries within the United States.
According to Brewer’s Association, the number of craft brewers increased from 8 in 1980 to
over 1500 in 2012. Prior to the 1970’s, light lagers were the only type of beer available in the
United States. Homebrewing began as a way to explore different beer styles that national brand
brewers had previously ignored. As the popularity of these homebrews began to grow, the
number of microbreweries greatly increased throughout the United States. South Florida in
particular has witnessed a substantial expansion in the microbrewery industry. This study
explored four craft brewers in Palm Beach and Broward County, Florida. Why does this two
county area need more than one brewery? During the course of the research, four themes
emerged: a sense of identity, a sense of place, a sense of community, and the power of
transformation. Microbreweries appear to be a part of a growing trend towards “neolocalism,” or
the conscious and active ways people reject a homogenized culture. Studies of microbreweries
add to our understanding of the ways South Florida embraces the unique and authentic. Since
each brewery is unique, that experience of the “neolocal” can only be had at each individual
microbrewery. Further work is necessary to determine if the sense of place and sense of
community is apparent at microbreweries throughout the state, or the “neolocal” is a regional
phenomenon confined to South Florida