Here’s a quick heads up that you should read our pal Clay Risen’s piece on Stone Brewing‘s planned expansion into the European market. The Escondido, California-based brewery is hoping to open a production facility in Europe sometime in the next few years that will be the American craft beer movement’s first foothold on the continent. (Read all about it here.)
It’s about time. As Risen points out, European craft-type breweries like Denmark’s Mikkeler and Norway’s Nøgne Ø are gaining traction, largely by emulating American craft brewers. Should Stone make a go of it, others are sure to follow. But at least to start, you could hardly ask for a better way to convert cocky German beer drinkers than to ply them full of Arrogant Bastard.
Countries like Italy, Belgium, and those in Scandinavia are likely to take to American craft beer since many of their brewers look to the States for cues. We wonder which countries Stone will target and how a brash, hop-forward line of beers like theirs will do over there. What do you think?