For decades, craft brewers carved out their niche by separating themselves from the likes of Coors and Anheuser-Busch with bigger, bolder and more experimental recipes that pushed the boundaries of beer. But over the years, competition has continually increased while sales have largely flattened, leading several Colorado beverage makers to embrace the motto, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ‘em.”
In the last year and a half, Knotted Root Brewing Co., Tivoli Brewing Co. and Stem Ciders launched macro-style lagers to both compete for market share with the big brewers and offer drinkers something craft-made at a lower price point than $16 four-packs. Not only that, but they’ve also set up separate brands around their products in hopes of making them more approachable to beer drinkers who don’t currently shop in the craft aisle.
This strategy, beverage makers say, aims to grow their customer bases and boost their bottom lines during a time when some breweries in Colorado are folding.
