Rod J BeerVentures

  Local breweries are feeling the squeeze right now, and beer drinkers should be paying attention. This is not just another “craft beer is dead” headline. I do not buy that kind of easy overreaction. People are still drinking beer. People are still visiting breweries. Good beer still matters. But the business around local beer has changed, and the breweries that many of us have enjoyed for years are dealing with a very different market than the one they grew up in. That is especially clear here in Ohio and across the Midwest. In the past, it felt like every city and suburb could support another taproom, another IPA lineup, another festival tent, and another seasonal release. The growth was exciting. Craft beer became part of local identity. Breweries were not just places to drink; they became community spaces, weekend stops, ourism draws, trivia-night homes, and neighborhood gathering spots. But now the conversation has shifted. Recent reports out of Ohio point to more brewery and ...