I see two different issues here. One is supporting local or small businesses.
The other is the idea that this is inextricably related to seeking out “craft” (whatever we decide that is) beer. It’s not, IMO.
I don’t necessarily seek out craft, or independent, or local exclusively. I seek out good beer and reject bad beer, no matter who makes it.
Once upon a time, big legacy brewers made good beer. They abdicated. There was an opening for imports, and new breweries. Some of those imports have declined, as have some of the (then) new brewers. Economy will always favor consolidation, and consumer demand will determine how big a niche there is for new (or old) alternative companies; part of that is down to how well the bigger, consolidated companies respond and fill that demand for different products.
Remember what the craft beer movement started out doing. It was taking as its models the likes of Bass, Guinness, Duvel, Pilsner Urquell, and so on. Not exactly upstart microbrews. And arguably, the rise of new brewers led in some degree to the decline of those companies and their products. It can go both ways.
It is not always – though it is sometimes – a world where The Man is trying to grind the little guy down, and big success is only the result of shady practices. No company, big or small, in any industry, will thrive long term except by filling a real demand. And there seem to be cycles where that demand is over- and underestimated, then there’s a correction. I wonder what this era will look like from the perspective of 25 years from now. If I’m still around and in posession of my marbles.
Support local business, but don’t just throw charity at them out of pity if they suck. (Most of the newer breweries around here suck.) And if there’s a really good beer out there, don’t deprive yourself of the pleasure just because the company that makes it is really raking it in.
(And another perspective here. If I had started a brewery 25 years ago, and it was still a going thing, and I had two choices – keep at it day after until I was hobbling on a cane and dribbling in my soup, or sell out and move somewhere warm and sunny to sit on my can – well…)