ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the larger political and economic context within which craft beer developed and became a major new industry. It examines its historical development, as well as the shifting political economic climate that it developed in. In this chapter, we look at four forces that influenced the development of the craft beer industry, these are the information revolution, globalization and related changes in consumer capitalism, the transformation of urban spaces, and the taste revolution in consumer culture. The first theme, globalization and related changes in consumer capitalism, looks at how economically liberal political policy, financial deregulation, and neoliberal ideology helped make some portions of the population quite wealthy, while also bifurcating the middle class. It also discusses how these policies led to a push against globalization, increased local entrepreneurship and a consumer demand for better, more local consumption experiences. The second theme, the information revolution, discusses how technological shifts and changes in social media allowed brewers to share ideas and information and provided a free direct-to-consumer marketing platform. It also looks at how consumers were empowered to share their interest in craft beer and engage in identity politics around various forms of consumption and community engagement. The third theme, the transformation of urban spaces, examines the interconnectedness of urban redevelopment and the craft beer revolution. It discusses how gentrification and neoliberal consumer ideologies created spaces where craft breweries could thrive and placed them near a culturally interested population. The fourth theme, the taste revolution in consumer culture, discusses important stylistic innovation to craft breweries. It looks at how these innovations are central to craft brewers’ identities, how breweries work to educate consumers about the quality of these new styles, and how consumers integrate new forms of consumption into their consumer identities.
