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Bart Watson: If You’re Trying to Ride Out This Wave, ‘You Should Probably Reconsider’

Bart Watson: If You’re Trying to Ride Out This Wave, ‘You Should Probably Reconsider’

Anyone looking for an answer to when craft’s current era of compounding hurdles and declines will come to an end received a reality check Wednesday during Brewers Association (BA) president and CEO Bart Watson’s state of the industry address, held at the start of Day 2 of the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Indianapolis.

Brewers Association: Onsite Brewery Sales -6% in Q1 2024; Draft Growing Share

Brewers Association: Onsite Brewery Sales -6% in Q1 2024; Draft Growing Share

Seasonal trends for onsite brewery sales have remained relatively consistent since January 2021, but “in real terms” – i.e. accounting for inflation – onsite sales continue to decline, according to Brewers Association (BA) staff economist Matt Gacioch, citing data from Arryved.

Craft Navigating a ‘Perfect Storm’ of Waning Consumer Demand, Distributor Disinterest and Dried-Up Draft Sales

Craft Navigating a ‘Perfect Storm’ of Waning Consumer Demand, Distributor Disinterest and Dried-Up Draft Sales

Craft beer has entered “no to negative growth territory,” Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson said during a year-end webinar last week. “We were in double-digit growth as recently as 2014, 2015, and then we moved into kind of a more developed, slow, single-digit growth rate,” Watson said. “COVID hit, and we had the worst year in craft history in 2020 with a partial bounce back in 2021.

Additional Content

Brewers Association Names New Federal Affairs Manager

Brewers Association Names New Federal Affairs Manager

The Brewers Association (BA) has tapped Samuel Beaver to lead federal government affairs, the trade organization announced Thursday. Beaver joins the BA from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), where he served as director of government relations for nearly six years.

BA Tariffs Webinar Recap: ‘Sticky’ Aluminum Tariffs, Consumer Sentiment a ‘Dumpster Fire’ and Other Challenges Ahead

BA Tariffs Webinar Recap: ‘Sticky’ Aluminum Tariffs, Consumer Sentiment a ‘Dumpster Fire’ and Other Challenges Ahead

The U.S. market was somewhat prepared for President Donald Trump to enact tariffs during his presidency, as promised during his campaign. But it wasn’t prepared for how “aggressive” those tariffs would be, including the speed and extent of their implementation, Rabobank global strategist, beverages, Stephen Rannekleiv said Thursday during a webinar hosted by the Brewers Association (BA).

Brewers Association: Craft Volume -4% in 2024, to 23.1M Barrels; Top 50 Breweries Lists Revealed

Brewers Association: Craft Volume -4% in 2024, to 23.1M Barrels; Top 50 Breweries Lists Revealed

Craft brewers’ collective production declined 4% in 2024, to 23.1 million barrels of beer produced, the Brewers Association (BA) shared today in the release of its annual craft brewing production report. The trade group representing small and independent craft breweries described 2024’s numbers as “highlighting the new realities of a maturing market in a rapidly evolving environment.”

Brewers Association Reveals 2025 Industry Award Winners

Brewers Association Reveals 2025 Industry Award Winners

The Brewers Association (BA) announced the recipients of the trade group’s annual Industry Awards today, recognizing “individuals and groups that have made a significant impact on the craft beer community.”

Brewers Association Revenue Declined -8.5% in 2024

Brewers Association Revenue Declined -8.5% in 2024

As painful as 2024 was for craft brewers, the year seemed to be equally as challenging for the trade group that represents them. The Brewers Association’s (BA) total revenue declined -9.3%, to $20,972,476 in 2024, according to its annual report, which was published Monday.

Brewers Association Board of Directors Election Open

Brewers Association Board of Directors Election Open

An election for four seats on the Brewers Association (BA) board of directors is open through 5 p.m. MST on November 13. The open seats include two to represent packaging brewers, and one each to represent taproom brewers and pub brewers. Packaging brewers are those who sell 75% or more of their volume off-site, while… Read more »

BA Harris Poll: Flavor Drives Bev-Alc Purchasing Decisions

BA Harris Poll: Flavor Drives Bev-Alc Purchasing Decisions

Flavor remains at the forefront of bev-alc purchasing decisions, according to data from the Brewers Association’s (BA) annual Harris Poll, shared by chief economist and VP of strategy Bart Watson and staff economist Matt Gacioch last week.

Brewers Association Harris Poll 2024: More Craft Beer Drinkers are Drinking Less Craft Beer

Brewers Association Harris Poll 2024: More Craft Beer Drinkers are Drinking Less Craft Beer

The number of craft beer drinkers who are drinking less craft beer than they were a year ago has surpassed the number of those who are drinking more for the first time since the Brewers Association (BA) started asking this question in its annual poll in 2015. BA chief economic and VP of strategy Bart Watson and staff economist Matt Gacioch shared the findings of the BA’s ninth annual Harris Poll during a Thursday webinar. Nearly 2,100 legal-drinking-age Americans were surveyed about their drinking habits.