The (R)evolution of the craft beer scene in Poland after 2010

Abstract

The main aim of this work is to present the development of the craft beer scene in Poland, especially in the years 2010-2018 with an emphasis on the so-called "Polish craft beer revolution." After a period of an economic transformation in Poland in the 1990s and 2000s, when the brewers' scene experienced the domination by large foreign brewing companies in the privatization process and numerous small breweries were liquidated, in the period 2010-2018 the number of new breweries including contract breweries increased from 70 to 372. Based on the quantitative and qualitative investigation, the authors present the origins, causes, key trends, and effects of the "Polish beer revolution". In the first part of the chapter, we focus on the characteristics of the brewing industry in Poland since the 1990s regarding the background of the changes that occurred after 2010. The next part discusses the emergence and course of the craft beer revolution in Poland. Then, the brewing scene in Poland during the beer revolution is studied from a geographical point of view. The emphasis was put on the spatial distribution, intensity, and dynamics of the phenomenon in Poland's regions. The last part outlines the cultural and societal effects of the craft beer revolution in Poland.