Is The Craft Beer Market In Grand Rapids Saturated?

By Amy Biolchini | amy_biolchini@mlive.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Pour a cold one and consider: the number of craft breweries in Grand Rapids has tripled since 2011, the year before beer lovers voted it "Beer City, USA."
 Much of that growth occurred last year as established Michigan breweries Atwater and New Holland Brewing tapped into the Grand Rapids craft beer scene -- and six new breweries opened their doors in the area.
 Can the beer bubble sustain itself -- or will it burst?
 Economists say closures are likely coming as the local industry ages, and the next decade will test brewers' skills -- both with their books and with their beer.
 "We're certainly going to see closures rise," said Bart Watson, an economist with the Brewers Association. "We'll see a mature market when it looks more like the restaurant market -- where they close and another brewery opens in its place."  
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