A really interesting and insightful piece over on the Just Rural Futures Substack by Joshua Z. Merced, Northern Arizona University, about the ways ‘Southernness’ gets performed and used for various reasons in relation to craft beer:
Porch Swings and Pale Ales: Performing Southerness in Craft Beer Culture
The Southeastern United States may not be the first region that comes to mind when one thinks about craft beer. Historically underrepresented in the early waves of the craft brewing movement, states like Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina have seen a notable rise in breweries over the past two decades. Yet beyond just production numbers, a more nuanced geography of cultural identity has emerged in this growing industry – one that trades in symbols, language, and nostalgia associated with rural “Southerness.” This strategy is not neutral. Rather, it reveals how craft beer marketing often mobilizes politically charged imagery to appeal to specific consumer demographics, reinforcing dominant narratives about both beer and the region itself.
[… and this lovely passage at the end of the post:]
The performative deployment of “rural Southerness” often reinforces demographic exclusivity in craft beer, aligning the industry with nostalgic and politically charged visions of the South that do not fully reflect its diverse realities. As the industry grows, so too must its capacity to reflect a broader, more inclusive South – one that recognizes the mosaic of communities who call the region home.