Introduction
In this project, we will be analyzing the Brewers Association Production dataset to compare the growth rates of regional breweries from 2020 to 2021. Additionally, we will be using data from Untappd to identify potential trends across these rapidly expanding breweries. By examining this data, we hope to gain insights into the strategies and styles that have led to success for these breweries, and to provide valuable information for industry professionals and enthusiasts alike.
About Untappd
Untappd is a social networking app designed for beer enthusiasts. It allows users to discover and rate beers, share recommendations with friends, and keep track of what they’ve tried and what they liked. The app also includes a feature that helps users find nearby breweries and bars, as well as events related to beer.
Style Category
The style category table was created to help classify the various beer styles in our dataset into broader categories based on their flavor profiles. This was done to simplify the analysis process and help identify any patterns or trends in our data.
| Style_Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Light+Crisp | Beers with a light and refreshing taste, often described as crisp. Examples include Pilsners and Blonde Ales. |
| Hoppy | Beers with a strong and noticeable hop flavor and aroma, often associated with bitterness. Examples include IPAs. |
| Malt | Beers with a dominant malt flavor and aroma, often described as sweet or nutty. Examples include Brown Ales and Amber Ales. |
| Tart | Beers with a sour or tart taste, often with fruity notes. Examples include Sours and Fruit Beers. |
| Other | Beers that don’t fit into the above categories, often with unusual or distinct flavors. Examples include Belgian-style beers. |
Tables
Identifying which regional breweies had greatest growth in production from 2020 to 2021
| Company | Percentage Growth 2020-2021 |
|---|---|
| New Trail Brewing Company | 2.03 |
| Octopi Brewing / Untitled Art | 2.00 |
| Athletic Brewing Company | 1.77 |
| Third Street Brewhouse | 1.07 |
| Fiddlehead Brewing | 0.83 |
| DuClaw Brewing Company | 0.65 |
| Mac and Jacks Brewery Inc | 0.57 |
| Maui Brewing Co - Production | 0.55 |
| Zero Gravity Craft Brewery | 0.53 |
| Gordon Biersch Brewing Co | 0.52 |
Results
This analysis shows the top 10 regional breweries with the highest percentage growth from 2020 to 2021. New Trail Brewing Company had the highest growth rate at 203%, followed closely by Octopi Brewing / Untitled Art at 200%. Athletic Brewing Company and Third Street Brewhouse also had significant growth rates of 177% and 107%, respectively. These results suggest that there is a growing demand for craft beer, particularly from these regional breweries.
| Brewery | Average Score |
|---|---|
| Untitled Art | 4.10 |
| New Trail Brewing Co. | 4.01 |
| Fiddlehead Brewing Company | 3.97 |
| Zero Gravity Craft Brewery | 3.77 |
| Mac & Jack’s Brewing Company | 3.75 |
| DuClaw Brewing Company | 3.73 |
| Maui Brewing Company | 3.69 |
| Athletic Brewing Company | 3.59 |
| Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant | 3.54 |
| Third Street Brewhouse (Minnesota) | 3.50 |
Results
The table shows the average score of beers from 10 different breweries. Untitled Art has the highest average score of 4.10, followed by New Trail Brewing Co. with an average score of 4.01. Third Street Brewhouse has the lowest average score with 3.50, while Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and Athletic Brewing Company have average scores of 3.54 and 3.59, respectively.
Number of Reviews
Let’s investigate the number of reviews for the top 25 beers of the brewery, as this may shed light on any potentially inflated or deflated average ratings| Brewery | Number of Reviews |
|---|---|
| Maui Brewing Company | 518308 |
| DuClaw Brewing Company | 399126 |
| Fiddlehead Brewing Company | 258482 |
| Zero Gravity Craft Brewery | 232090 |
| Untitled Art | 207270 |
| New Trail Brewing Co. | 194191 |
| Athletic Brewing Company | 67625 |
| Mac & Jack’s Brewing Company | 66682 |
| Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant | 51577 |
| Third Street Brewhouse (Minnesota) | 49097 |
Results
Based on the number of reviews, Maui Brewing Company has the highest number of reviews, followed by DuClaw Brewing Company, Fiddlehead Brewing Company, and Zero Gravity Craft Brewery. On the other hand, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and Third Street Brewhouse (Minnesota) have the lowest number of reviews.
Reviews by Style
| Style_Catagory | Average Number of Reviews |
|---|---|
| Other | 15180 |
| Hoppy | 9380 |
| Tart | 6398 |
| Light+Crisp | 6051 |
| Stout | 5001 |
| Malt | 4790 |
Results
The table shows the average number of reviews for each style category across all the breweries in the dataset. The style category with the highest average number of reviews is “Other” with an average of 15,180 reviews, followed by “Hoppy” with an average of 9,380 reviews. “Tart” has an average of 6,398 reviews, “Light+Crisp” has an average of 6,051 reviews, “Stout” has an average of 5,001 reviews, and “Malt” has an average of 4,790 reviews.
Visuals
Comparing Styles
Results
We can see that each brewery has its own unique distribution of beer styles, but we can identify a few trends across all of them.
First, Hoppy beers (such as IPAs) are by far the most popular beer style across all breweries, with all but one offering more than 2 Hoppy beers. This suggests that there is a high demand for Hoppy beers among consumers of craft beer.
Second, while most breweries offer a variety of beer styles, there are a few that specialize in a particular type of beer. For example, Third Street Brewhouse offers a high number of Light+Crisp beers, while Untitled Art specializes in Stouts. This may be a strategic move to differentiate themselves from the competition and cater to a specific niche market.
Third, we can see that some beer styles are less popular among these breweries. Tart beers and Malt beers, for example, are offered by fewer breweries compared to the other beer styles.
ABV Across Catorgories
To provide context on the brewing styles, I decided to explore the average ABV across these styles.
Results
Based on our analysis of these 10 breweries, it appears that stouts have the highest average alcohol by volume (ABV) followed by the hoppy category. On the other hand, the light and crisp section has the lowest ABV on average.
Results
The graph demonstrates that Untitled Art stands out with the highest ABV among these breweries, which is not surprising given their focus on stouts, with an average ABV for stouts being 8%. The majority of these breweries, however, average around 6% ABV, with some variation. It’s worth noting that Athletic Brewing is a N/A brewery, explaining its 0.5% ABV. Overall, these findings suggest that the majority of these breweries produce beers within a moderate ABV range.
Conclusion
Based on the data analyzed from the Brewers Association Production dataset and Untappd, we can identify potential trends that can help breweries in their strategies for success. The analysis shows that there is a growing demand for craft beer, particularly from regional breweries. Furthermore, breweries that focus on styles with strong and noticeable hop flavors, such as IPAs, tend to have higher average scores and more reviews. This suggests that hoppy beers are popular among beer enthusiasts and could be a good focus for breweries looking to expand their market share. Finally, it is important to note that while high average scores are desirable, the number of reviews is also a crucial factor to consider.