Oregon craft beers boom as Super Bowl Sunday nears

TheSeattle Seahawks make a return trip to this year’s Super Bowl to take on theNew England Patriots. The advice to beverage drinkers who will be watching thegame on TV is simple: Eenjoy a Northwest brew while cheering for a Northwestteam.

“Allthe statistics indicate that the traditional big-name beers are on the declinein terms of consumption in the U.S.,” says Amanda Welker, international trademanager with the Oregon Department of Agriculture.”The beers on the inclineare the craft beers. Going to a Super Bowl party? I think a six-pack of ourfavorite Oregon craft beer is the thing to bring.”

Statisticsmay not settle who has the edge between New England’s high-powered offense andSeattle’s stifling defense, but they do show how big Super Bowl Sunday is whenit comes to beverage consumption.

More than 125 million Americans participatein Super Bowl parties, with an average of 17 people per party. Nationally, morethan 49 million cases of beer will be consumed – about 17 times the averagedailyconsumption in the U.S.

Inmost cases, that great flavor of beer can be traced back to agriculture in thePacific Northwest. Washington and Oregon rank first and second respectively inUS production of hops – the key ingredient in beer –and are responsible forabout 90 percent of the nation’s hop production. This past year, Oregonproduced more than 8.2 million pounds of hops valued at $35.6 million.

Thecraft beer movement has picked up a lot of speed in recent years and Oregon isright in the middle of the action.

The website oregoncraftbeer.org reportsthere are 185 brewing companies operating 226brewing facilities in 71 citiesin Oregon. Portland currently has the most breweries of any city in the worldand leads the country in the percentage of dollars spent on craft beer. It’sestimated that 53 percent of all draftbeer consumed in Oregon is brewed inOregon.

“It’sreally part of the culture in Portland and the rest of the state,” says Welker.”Oregon has had a large home brewing culture that has grown and commercialized.Breweries are going strong in Bend andCentral Oregon and we are seeingbreweries pop up in Southern Oregon and the Columbia Gorge.”

Nationally,craft beer consumption is approaching 8 percent by volume, a number that issteadily increasing. With its high number of quality craft beers, Oregon isdoing its share to boost the percentage.

“Whilemany states are producing craft beer, Oregon stands out in the creativitydepartment,” says Welker. “We offer different flavors and have access todifferent types of hops varieties.”

Thepopularity of Oregon craft beer is poised to explode well beyond the borders ofthe state and the U.S. The international consumer is increasingly intrigued.

“Weare seeing a lot of interest in our craft beers from other countries, but thedomestic demand is growing so quickly, that it’s difficult for brewers to thinkabout an export plan,” says Welker. “It takes a lot ofwork to export whenbreweries are just trying to keep up with local demand.”

Nonetheless,ODA’s Marketing Program is working to make some inroads in other countries.Canada has shown a growing demand for Oregon craft beers as has northernEurope, especially the United Kingdom.Oregon’s traditional trade partners inAsia are warming up to the idea of a cold craft brew from the Beaver State.

“We’vebeen selling craft beers to Japan for several years, but there is even moreinterest now,” says Welker. “Oregon itself is very popular in Japan and we’veworked in that market for decades. The Japaneseassociate Oregon with quality.Korea, Australia, and New Zealand are also interested in our beers.”

Thesame kind of brand identity for Oregon that exists in Japan is growing in SouthKorea as the state has introduced a number of high quality products to thatmarket the past five years.

“Wehave been working with alcohol importers in Korea and Japan who have importedOregon wine in the past but now are looking at craft beers,” says Welker. “Theyknow craft beer is a trend they need to getin front of, but they feel thereneeds to be some promotional power behind it along with some consumereducation. Asia is used to a lighter beer, so there needs to be someconsideration as to what kinds of Oregon craftbeers will do best over there.”

Oregonis not alone in tapping the craft brew export market. By volume, U.S. exports ofcraft beer increased 49 percent globally in 2013, which equates to about $73million.

Thesurge in interest by beer drinkers in other countries has peaked the interestof would-be exporters in Oregon. Last week, ODA hosted an export seminartailored for those who produce beer, wine, cider, andspecialty food products.ODA expected 20 to 25 attendees, but about 70 people showed up for the seminarwith nine craft breweries in the audience. Finance and marketing opportunitieswere the prime topics of thediscussion that whetted the export appetite of theattendees.

Shippingof product is one of the biggest challenges. Shipments usually require at leasta container’s worth of product. There may be a solution.

“Acouple of Oregon companies are looking to consolidate shipments overseas, whichmay be the best way for Oregon beers to get to those markets,” says ODA’s JuliaTurner, also an international trademanager. “Very few craft breweries have thevolume of production to fill a full container.”

Closerto home, Portland will host this year’s national Craft Brewers Conference andBrewExpo America, held in April. There are numerous beer festivals once againtaking place this year in Oregon. There islittle doubt that Oregon is viewedas a hub of craft beer activity and interest.

Partof that activity will take place on Sunday when, for many, a craft beercelebration coincides with the biggest football game of the year.