Wisconsin’s craft breweries are facing supply chain disruptions. Zak Koga, the vice president of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild, says containers like aluminum cans and glass are harder and harder to come by.
When the food service industry shut down last year due to the pandemic, businesses were no longer purchasing kegs and customers were drinking from their homes – bars and restaurants are still down 40-50 percent in their volume of draft beer.
Koga, who is also the co-owner of Karben4 Brewing in Madison, says local bars and restaurants don’t want to commit to purchasing kegs, and have resorted to single use glassware and cans. Pre-packaged beer has a lower margin, however, and he says bringing draft beer purchases up is a goal for many craft brewers for 2022.
In industry news, Koga notes the Wisconsin Brewers Guild is working on a reset for the new year, reworking its goals and bringing everyone together for a strong comeback from COVID-19.
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