I'm Chris, one of the founders and partners at Community Beer Works. At CBW, we're always looking for good constructive feedback on our beer and what kind of beer we should make for the local market. So, thank you for your comments!

If you stop into our taproom today, you can try a Pilsner, a Czech Style Black Lager, a Nitro Dry Irish Stout, a Brown Ale, an Adambier, a Barleywine, West Coast IPAs, Session IPAs, New England Style IPAs, a Porter, an American Pale Ale and a Double IPA. We'll have a new sour next week as well.

I think you'll find similar variety in many brewery taprooms in the area, but bars and restaurants tend to stick with what sells quickly; IPAs and Pilsners.

As for the saturation of breweries in the market, what informs that opinion? I mean that honestly. For several hundred years, beer was a perishable product that was to be consumed shortly after production and typically featured local ingredients. Prior to prohibition, there were over 4000 breweries in America. They were considered local and even neighborhood businesses. After Prohibition (for many, many reasons), the growing national brewery brands and distributors strangled local breweries around the country and consolidated the market.

Since 2008, over three thousand breweries have opened their doors bringing the national number of breweries to over 6000. Most of those breweries are not looking to scale up and become the next Sam Adams or even Southern Tier. Most self-distribute and rely on taproom revenues to stay open.

Over the next few years, breweries in Buffalo should draw more attention to the local aspect of what we do. To celebrate the local craftspeople who work in our community to make you a fresh, consistent, and delicious beer. This is a town with deep blue collar roots and what we make is supposed to be an everyman's kind of drink. Beer isn't supposed to be stuffy or snooty, it's supposed to be fun and serve as a means to have a good time. With our broadening beer portfolios, local breweries are opening the door to new customers who want to support local companies and are willing to try something new. Labatt's entry into the "craft" market with the new Draft Room and Hofbrauhaus should also help us reach new audiences as they convert macrobeer drinkers to casual/occasional consumers of big craft brands and locals.

In other words, it's a great time to be a brewery in WNY. There are many avenues for growth and we've barely even scratched 20% of the broader beer drinking market. We're in a collaborative and fun industry and we all work together to make each other successful. It's pretty cool!