Pearl Street Brewery

In difficult times people have to prioritize their budgets, but that doesn’t mean cutting out luxuries all together. For many people that means redefining what a luxury is.

Pearl Street Brewery is getting ready for its 10th anniversary.

“Our business has grown about 30 to 40 percent in the last year,” says Brewmaster Joe Katchever.

That’s not something many businesses can say in this economy. But industries, like microbreweries, are booming. Economists say it’s because a high-end beer is a small luxury people can justify.

“(People say) ‘I can’t afford the $40 bottle of whisky, but I’ll go get myself a sort of “niche” beer,” says UW-L Economics Professor Mike Haupert. “(They say) ‘it’s not the can of beer I’d get at a grocery store, but it’s not going to set me back the same amount.”

Which is good news for Pearl Street Brewery. They’ve expanded sales from the La Crosse area to all of western Wisconsin, something they credit to people thinking beer is an affordable indulgence.

“Our sales haven’t really tapered off, or changed since this recession officially started, or people started talking about it at the end of the summer,” Katchever says.

It’s an industry that is likely to survive, even if it gets worse before it gets better.

“Those smaller items are more likely to be recession-proof,” Haupert says.

Hmm i think i’d rather go for the Bottle of Whisky Its more of a long term “investment” and will allow me to enjoy the Whisky over a long period of time, rather than the short quick satisfaction that a single can of beer will give me!

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