Even while field quality is arguably more important than ever, it appears to be far down the industry’s list of priorities—and that should concern brewers, wholesalers, and retailers alike. Most brewers do everything they can to brew beer of the highest possible quality—yet once that beer leaves the brewery, there’s much to be done to ensure that it’s properly handled and sold.
“It’s no secret that craft beer is struggling right now,” says Neil Witte, whose Craft Quality Solutions consulting firm specializes in draft-beer quality. “Every experience somebody has with beer has to be a good one.”
Most breweries acknowledge that field quality is important, Witte says, but most lack a formal approach to it. “This is not rocket science,” he says. “It’s not a big mystery. It’s about putting resources toward it.”