Explore the world of craft beer, from performance reports and innovation tactics to the state of the industry and breaking news.
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.
Around 10,000 industry members are expected to make the trip to Indianapolis for the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America (April 28 to May 1). The gathering takes place against a backdrop of growing headwinds for craft breweries and an overhaul of CBC’s host organization, the Brewers Association.
Craft’s rolling four-week losses improved to start 2025, according to the most recent report from market research firm Circana. The segment’s off-premise dollar sales declined -3.1% and volume, measured in case sales, declined -4.6% in the four-week period ending January 26 (L4W) at multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores (MULO+C). That marked an improvement over the prior four-week period (through December 29, 2024), when craft dollars declined -5.1% and volume declined -6.5%.
Editor’s Note: The below news items were initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter December 29 through January 2. Not an Insider? Become one today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry. Numerator: Fewer New Year’s Resolutions in 2026 Fewer consumers are planning to make resolutions in 2026 compared to 2025,… Read more »
Bosque Brewing, New Mexico’s largest craft brewery, abruptly closed all of its taprooms last week after 13 years in operation.
We’ve compiled our most read stories of the past year, and one company dominated the headlines (with not the sunniest lineup of news): Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B).
Earlier this year, wine industry veteran Jason McConnell acquired 38-year-old Anderson Valley Brewing Company [AVBC] (Boonville, CA). Now he is focused on maintaining AVBC’s cherished traditions, such as its annual fest and its celebrated disc golf course, while adding his own flair.
Two framed, hand-painted Chinese symbols adorn the doorway in Highland Brewing president Leah Wong Ashburn’s office. Read together, they mean “crisis,” but independently, they translate to “risk” and “opportunity.”
As the leader of California’s second-largest craft brewery – and one that sells more than 80% of its volume in its home market – Firestone Walker CEO Nick Firestone is uniquely qualified to discuss how trends in craft’s largest market are affecting its biggest suppliers.
Editor’s Note: The below news items were initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter December 22-26. Not an Insider? Become one today to get earlier access to what’s going on in the industry. CGA: 40% Consumers Plan to Take Part in Dry January; Half of Gen Z to Participate Two-in-five consumers plan to take part… Read more »
Five months after placing a winning bid for Alamo Beer Company, Australia-based private equity firm SKJ Capital has finalized its acquisition of the San Antonio-based craft brewery, SKJ announced today.
As alcohol sales have remained strained for years on end, the emergence of mainstream, legal hemp-based beverages has been a major boon for adult beverage retailers. Jon Halper, owner and CEO of retail chain Top Ten Liquors, is one of them.
The next evolution in adult non-alc (ANA) will require brands to push flavor to greater heights, invest in retail strategy, and find new occasions.
Von Ebert Brewing has spent the past five years playing catch up with demand. The Portland, Oregon-based company began in 2018 as a family-founded brewpub seeking to bring fresh German-inspired beers to the Pacific Northwest.
Brewbound Live 2025 is in the books! Podcast co-hosts Zoe Licata and Jessica Infante recap this year’s conference. Then, Karl Strauss Brewing (San Diego, CA) co-founder and CEO Chris Cramer joins Brewbound editor Justin Kendall for this week’s featured interview.
“Barring a drastic change in the last few weeks” of 2025, craft will likely record its third consecutive year of volume declines and second consecutive year in which brewery closings outpaced openings, according to the Brewers Association (BA) in the trade group’s annual Year in Beer report.
Craft beer’s grocery losses continued to accelerate in November, according to the latest monthly report from market research firm Circana. The segment recorded high-single-digit declines in dollar sales (-8.2%) and volume (-9%) at grocery stores in the four-week period (L4W) ending November 30, Circana reported. Those losses mark an acceleration from the prior L4W period… Read more »
