It isn’t too great a leap to wonder whether contracts could prove to be the lifeblood of the next wave of craft growth, or at least play a more significant role going forward.

Two hundred and fifty breweries opened in the United States in 2011, providing one of many bright spots in a year in which craft brewer volumes grew 13%.

The big brewers in 2011 seem to have woken up and at least have recognized the challenges posed by craft beer, spirits, wine, and non-alcoholic energy drinks.

Almost every regional craft brewery seems to have either undergone a major expansion or has drawn up blueprints for a build-out. Also, 11 more breweries joined the category.

In 2011, the headlines were about new local breweries, ongoing growth, and the hundreds of breweries in planning. The sheer number has become a conversation itself.

With solid support lined up, expectations increase for a tipping point where craft brewers grow capacity, production, and sales and emerge from their niche origins to broad appeal.

Craft beer is part of a much larger phenomenon, rooted in a long-term evolution of American society and culture that’s still progressing.

Most breweries lack a data-driven infrastructure offering the information needed for decision-making in an environment experiencing exponential growth.