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RacketCast, Ep. 23: Wait, IS MN Beer In Trouble? Feat. David Berg of Schell’s

This bonus ep explores the dreaded 'craft beer bubble.'

Instagram: @schellsbeer|

Dave Berg of August Schell Brewing Co.

Last fall Racket surveyed 44 Minnesota brewing pros and found that 63.6% believe the industry is in a positive place—not bad!

Last month Racket highlighted Axios reporting that showed a 10.8% boost in Minnesota craft brewery production last year—nice!

But David Berg, the longtime brewmaster at August Schell Brewing Co., isn't convinced by those types of cheery reports, and he recently got all up in our Bluesky mentions to say as much.

"The brewing industry is pretty much in dire straits right now," Berg says. "I think it's a disservice to the industry to present it in any other fashion. It's as bleak as it's been in the 20 years I've been part of it."

Are Minnesota breweries in trouble? And, if so, how much? As the number of craft breweries throughout our state shoots past 200, is the long-murmured-about "craft beer bubble" finally ready to pop?

We got Berg on the horn to pick his considerable beer brain about the darker forces that might brewing on his industry's horizon.


Subscribe to RacketCast wherever you get your podcasts—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, etc. Wanna advertise on RacketCast? Email us at advertise@racketmn.com. Special thanks to local band Van Stee for supplying our podcast music!

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