Bart Watson is the man behind the numbers when it comes to the booming craft brewing industry. As the Brewers Association's chief economist, he was hired in 2013 to help decode the data. Now, after two short years, he has helped the association reach its highest landmark yet, announcing that the total number of US breweries achieved an all-time high in 2015. Bart Watson has become the indispensible data decoder.
The state of craft beer around the country is constantly changing. With its abundance of breweries, innovations in recipes, and international explosion, it's hard to keep up with all the different nuances of the beer world. It's even more difficult to figure out when a brewery has had a successful year or when beer sales have hit a new high. That's where numbers guy Bart Watson comes in — hired in 2013 as the chief economist for Brewers Association, Watson is the go-to source for sound Byers Association beer industry analysis and data.
At first glance, Bart Watson seems like your average beer enthusiast. His Twitter bio makes note of his career as an economist at the Brewers Association along with his side hustle as a beer recipe developer for the award-winning homebrewing company, BeerSmith. His Instagram background reveals that he loves to explore the world of food and beer.
But behind the enthusiasm and wit lies a brilliant economist with a deep understanding of the beer market. Before joining the Brewers Association, Watson was a full-time professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. From there, he went on to become the vice president of research and insights at Technomics, the leading food and beverage industry consulting firm. It's safe to say that Watson knows his stuff when it comes to the beer industry.
As the chief economist for the Brewers Association, Watson is the one responsible for interpreting and analyzing all the data points related to craft beer. His primary role is to inform the Brewers Association about the current state of craft beer and how it's changing over time. The data he collects helps the association promote the craft beer industry and make informed decisions about their legislative, regulatory, and media campaigns.
Watson also regularly speaks at events and conferences about all aspects of the craft beer industry. He's been credited as one of the most influential thinkers in the craft industry, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and other top magazines. He's even written several books about the craft beer industry, including Brewers Association’s The Craft Beer Revolution: How a Band of Microbrewers Is Transforming the World’s Favorite Drink.
Undoubtedly, Watson's top achievement to date has been when the Brewers Association issued a press release announcing the total number of US breweries had reached an all-time high in 2015. With Watson as the spokesman quoted, he went on to speak at numerous events on the importance of the growth of the craft beer industry and its overall impact on the economy.
With diverse experience and an impeccable understanding of the beer industry, Watson has been able to make a big impact in his role at the Brewers Association. His ability to decode data and explain its importance makes him indispensable to the association, and his presentations have gained him recognition at events and in the press.
Bart Watson is an invaluable asset to the Brewers Association. His extensive experience in research and analysis of the beer industry has made him one of the most important voices in the craft beer world. His ability to interpret and relay data points to the public has helped the Brewers Association promote the craft beer industry, and has helped to grow the beer landscape all around the country.