Examining the Craft Beer Bubble with the Brewers Association's chief economist Bart Watson Craft beer is booming in America.  We're likely to hit 7,000 breweries by the end of the year, more than double the number just five years ago.  With the explosion of new breweries many fear that we're in a bubble, and it's about to bust.  But is that the case?Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association, joins us this week to discuss the existence of the craft beer bubble and examine the numbers of what's really happening. Watson shares some details on the rate of brewery openings and closures and what those numbers mean.  Attendance at the Great American Beer Festival, from brewers and consumers, is up and every competition category gets its fair share of entries.  We discuss how excise tax cuts and higher tariffs are impacting brewers and consumers, how the industry today looks compared to the late 1990s, and what more legal weed could mean for craft beer. Beer Guys Radio Craft Beer Podcast 146 Guest: Bart Watson, Chief Economist, Brewers Association Topic: The Craft Beer Bubble and State of the Craft Beer IndustryEpisode GuideSponsor thanks and show intro | 0:00Bart Watson introduction | 01:35Ultimate Frisbee talk | 01:52GABF attendance recap | 02:54Beer Guys Week in Review | 03:50Georgia homebrew laws | 06:40Beers of the Week | 07:08Craft beer news | 08:40Oops! Data correction | 12:50Craft beer collectives and status as craft breweries | 13:25GABF medal analysis and trends | 14:21Popular GABF categories outside of IPA | 15:21Does the Craft Beer Bubble exist? | 17:20Brewery openings and closures | 19:15Craft beer industry today vs. the late 90s | 19:50US brewery numbers and growth potential | 23:35Brewery excise tax relief - Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA) | 27:24Aluminum and steel tariffs | 30:35Challenges for new breweries | 34:40Wine and spirits vs. craft beer vs. big beer | 36:00Alternative alcoholic beverages | 38:00Breweries making other beverages | 39:00Legal cannabis/marijuana vs. craft beer | 40:29Independent Craft Brewer seal | 42:07See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Thanks for listening to Beer Guys Radio! Your hosts are Tim Dennis and Brian Hewitt with producer Nate "Mo' Mic Nate" Ellingson and occasional appearances from Becky Smalls.Subscribe to Beer Guys Radio on your favorite app: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFollow Beer Guys Radio: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube If you enjoy the show we'd appreciate your support on Patreon. Patrons get cool perks like early, commercial-free episodes, swag, access to our exclusive Discord server, and more!