Total U.S. beer supply was nearly flat in October, after state shipments and domestic tax paids rebounded and increased volume versus October 2023, according to the Beer Institute (BI) in the trade group’s latest round of economic reports.

The Brewers Association announced the results of its board of directors election today. Three candidates were elected to serve three-year terms starting February 2025.

Distributor sentiments for beer category strength shifted from cautious to “neutral” in November, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) in the trade group’s latest Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) report.

Constellation EVP and beer division president Jim Sabia shed light on the company’s 2025 strategies last week during Beer Marketer’s Insights’ annual fall seminar in New York City. Here are some of the highlights from the conversation.

Spirits giant Sazerac manages approximately 500 brands across beer, wine and spirits, yet president and CEO Jake Wenz insists the company is still “focused.”

After 18 months of learning about the U.S. bev-alc market, California-based hard kombucha brand Mate Maker is ready to expand its portfolio and its distribution, and wants consumers to come along for the ride.

Kirin-owned New Belgium Brewing and Bell’s Brewery both built their foundations on amber ales. More than three decades later, their portfolios look a little different, in very intentional moves to stay relevant with the rapidly changing bev-alc market, CEO Shaun Belongie shared during Beer Marketer’s Insights’ seminar, held this week in New York City.

Boston Beer Company will increase investment across its entire portfolio in 2025, the company shared with its distributor partners in nearly 30 in-person meetings held across the country over the last two months. The investment will be made in both traditional and digital media, in addition to “new dynamic partnerships.”

Inflation for beer continued to outpace trends for total bev-alc in October, but lessened versus September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report.

The on-premise channel – including bars, restaurants, event venues and more – is primed to provide growth for beer. The key for suppliers and distributors to capitalize on that opportunity is to understand what retail operators are prioritizing, including profitability and efficiency, according to Levy Restaurants director of beverage analytics and strategy Scott Brown and BeerBoard chief strategy officer Brandy Rand.

Non-alcoholic beer continues to be one of a handful of beer segments to record growth in scans. However, beer is also finding growth at the other end of the ABV spectrum, and was the subject of the latest report from Bump Williams Consulting (BWC).

In the wake of Tuesday’s election, beer industry trade groups are diving into the changes that could be coming and the potential impact on their members, with shifts across the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and White House.

The U.S.’s total beer supply declined -6.7% year-over-year (YoY) in September, as built-up summer inventories (domestic production plus imports) fell back in line with depletion trends, according to Beer Institute (BI) chief economist Andrew Heritage.

While beer consumers – particularly core craft fans – once cared more about brand and where a product was made, most bev-alc consumers are now prioritizing price, quality and availability, among other factors. This has caused not only a shift in how craft beer is produced and marketed (hello, contract brewing boom), but also trends in imported beer.