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Where was craft beer a decade ago? It's hard to be- lieve that not so long ago, having a beer with dinner meant choosing between Miller, Coors and Bud- weiser. Today, many restau- rants have curated, page-long menus of draft and bottled beer offerings, and selecting a suppertime liba- tion often necessitates a certain degree of beer expertise. Navigating the world of craft beer can be a bit like learning a second language. From gueuzes to kölsches to saisons to brag- gots, craft beer has become a world of its own, a true phenomenon in adult bev- erages that is creating new connoisseurs each and every day. In many ways, the craft beer phenomenon epito- mizes the specialty food in- dustry as a whole, as craft brewers seek to satisfy the larger consumer desire for unique, superior quality prod- ucts, created using the best ingredients with a particular focus on local, regional production. Craft brewers are also respond- ing to 21st century consumers who seem never to be satisfied with the status quo, but rather are always searching for the next big thing. Of course, the craft beer industry is not the only subcategory within the specialty food and beverage landscape that is re- sponding to the consumer desire for fresh, uncommon products. Whereas chocolate lovers once had a choice between milk, dark and white, for example, they are now presented with 31 percent cacao single- source Venezuelan milk, vegan Guajillo chili superdark and passion fruit white chocolate bars. And gone are the days when shopping for flour meant choosing be- tween all-pur- pose white and wheat. Today, consumers can pick up flours made from quinoa, kamut, amaranth, ar- rowroot, potato, corn, chickpeas, bulgur—the list goes on and on. From beer to chocolate to ice cream to pasta, consumers today are faced with an ever-increasing assortment of products on the shelf. And the onus falls on those in the specialty food and beverage industry—sup- pliers, distributors and retailers—to help the consumer navigate these choices and find the product that best suits his or her needs and desires. Offering an extensive craft beer selection can be a great way for a retailer to make a name for itself and establish itself as a go- to store in its community. Those shopping for beer today practically demand that the retailer offer an extensive array of varietals from an eclectic selection of brewers. How- ever, if the retailer is not him or herself ed- ucated about the local craft brew scene and is not able to adequately sell the product to the consumer, then shoppers will simply move on to other retailers that not only walk the walk, but also successfully talk the talk. The same can be said for reaching out to those consumers who are connoisseurs of any specialty food category. Whether a retailer is developing an attractive display of hot sauces or cheeses or pickles or soup mixes, consumers today want a product that speaks directly to them. And awash in a sea of choices, it is the retailer's responsibility to set the ship in the right direction. GN — Lucas Witman, Editor 520.721.1300 lucas_w@oser.com GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2014 www.gourmetnews.com EDITORIAL 1 2 WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER Lee M. Oser ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Paul Harris paul_h@oser.com Jeff Rosano jeff_r@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lorrie Baumann lorrie_b@oser.com EDITOR Lucas Witman editor@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Zach Calvello GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Yasmine Brown Vicky Glover ACCOUNT MANAGERS Jules Denton Ryan Harter Lynn Hilton CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Product Wrap-up & Classified Sales Tara Neal tara_n@oser.com CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER Mandy Feld mandy_f@oser.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jamie Green jamie_g@oser.com PUBLISHING OFFICE 1877 N. Kolb Road P.O. Box 1056 Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300 Fax 520.721.6300 SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Gourmet News P.O. Box 30520 Tucson, AZ 85751 520.721.1300 G OURMET N EWS ® PRESIDENT Lee M. Oser MEMBER OF: Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ, and ad- ditional mailing office. Gourmet News (ISSN 1052-4630) is published monthly by Oser Com- munications Group, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715; 520.721.1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited mate- rial or prices quoted in newspaper. Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2014 by Oser Communications Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when avail- able, cost $7 each within the past 12 months, $12 each prior to the past 12 months. Back or- ders must be paid in advance either by check or charged to American Express, Visa, or Master Card. Gourmet News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified profession- als in the retail and distribution channels of the specialty foods and hardgoods trade; paid sub- scriptions cost $65 annually to the U.S. and Canada. All foreign subscriptions cost $150 an- nually to cover air delivery. All payments must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. For subscriber services, including subscription information, call 520.721.1300. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gourmet News, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715. FROM THE EDITOR

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