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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

BA Focusing on Legislation to Widen Market Access for Craft Brewers

BA Focusing on Legislation to Widen Market Access for Craft Brewers

The Brewers Association (BA) is prioritizing legislative efforts that widen craft brewers’ market access as the segment faces a challenging sales environment and narrowing distribution routes, BA general counsel Marc Sorini said during a presentation at the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) last month in Las Vegas.

Bart Watson: Differentiation Vital for Craft to Return to Growth

Bart Watson: Differentiation Vital for Craft to Return to Growth

For craft breweries to return to growth, they have to do more than just make great beer, Brewers Association (BA) chief economist and VP of strategy Bart Watson said during his state of the industry address Tuesday on Day 2 of the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Las Vegas.

Zoe’s CBC Picks: Hard Cider, Brand Extensions and Business Smarts

Zoe’s CBC Picks: Hard Cider, Brand Extensions and Business Smarts

The Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) was the first industry event I ever attended, so I see it as the unofficial start to a new year. It’s also a great pulse check on how the industry – and all the folks you catch up with – have changed and evolved since the last CBC.

A Round With… Right Proper Brewing’s Leah Cheston

A Round With… Right Proper Brewing’s Leah Cheston

In the latest installment of Brewbound’s A Round With – a weekly Insider-exclusive Q&A series with industry leaders – Leah Cheston tells us about craft beer in the nation’s capital and helping to steer the segment toward stability.