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%.
With the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s 87th Annual Convention and Product Showcase kicking off next week (September 29 to October 2), Brewbound checked in with a pair of California distributors on the trends they’re seeing in their respective markets.
Last year’s overall craft volume decline was felt more acutely in the Midwest than other regions, according to a recent report from Brewers Association (BA) staff economist Matt Gacioch.
IPA drinkers in Connecticut and Delaware have boosted the style to have the largest share of craft off-premise dollars in the country, according to a recent report from Brewers Association (BA) staff economist Matt Gacioch.
Beer industry trends have been largely discouraging lately, but one retailer – albeit a mostly private label one – is bucking them. “We are crushing it in beer right now,” Aldi director of buying for adult beverages Arlin Zajmi told Brewbound.
While “it might feel like we’re hearing more about brewery closures” since the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still plenty of craft breweries opening across the country, according to Brewers Association staff economist Matt Gacioch.
Amid challenging industry headwinds, two New York-based craft breweries are merging, Brewbound has learned.
Despite industry scan trends, Firestone Walker believes “the American craft beer industry is as strong as ever.” The Duvel-owned California craft brewery is focused on its core beer brands in 2025, and believes those brands can satisfy both classic craft beer consumers and new drinkers, leadership detailed Monday in a virtual presentation for wholesale partners.
Cambridge Brewing Company (CBC) founder Phil Bannatyne joins the Brewbound Podcast to discuss the recent announcement that the Massachusetts brewpub will shut its doors in December after 35 years in business.
Duvel Moortgat-owned Firestone Walker is staying in the beer category in 2025, and believes beer can still speak to consumer needs – even the consumers who “don’t know they like beer yet.”
Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) could change hands again for the second time in nearly five years, according to a BizQuest listing that offers the Boonville, California-based craft brewery for sale.
Production of Modern Times Beer will shift to AleSmith Brewing in San Diego as part of a new contract brewing relationship with Craft ‘Ohana, the portfolio company that includes Maui Brewing, Modern Times and Kupu Spirits.
Beverage options abound in downtown Boston: properly poured Guinness at an Irish pub, wine at an Italian restaurant in the North End, a large iced regular at one of several (several!) Dunkin’ locations. But there’s only one place you can find a pint of pineapple basil ale, and that’s Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams Boston Taproom, where head brewer Megan Parisi is brewing all sorts of interesting beers for tourists and locals alike.
Left Hand Brewing co-founder Eric Wallace has assessed today’s challenging landscape for craft brewers and believes his Longmont, Colorado-based company may have a solution.
Beer declines continued in the last four weeks, with even previous high-performing segments such as imports feeling late summer pains in recent scans from market research firm Circana (data ending August 11).
