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%.
New Belgium Brewing is investing $20 million in Bell’s Brewery’s Kalamazoo production facility and Eccentric Cafe taproom, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reported.
Charlie Sheen is the latest celebrity wading into the non-alcoholic beer business. The Hollywood star has teamed up with Barrel One Collective’s Harpoon Brewery and “innovation brand shop” The Silent Group to create Wild AF Brewing.
I’ve been around craft beer long enough to see the word “craft” stretch, bend, and in some cases, break. Today, though, “craft” is everywhere – and sometimes nowhere …
Draft beer remains the dominating sales driver for taprooms, but breweries may need to expand their menus (and hours) if they want consumers to keep coming back, according to a new report from the Brewers Association (BA), citing taproom point-of-sale data from Arryved.
Antigua Brewing Company has closed its sole location in San Luis Obispo, California, after four years in operation, the SLO Tribune reported. The shuttering has been characterized as an abrupt move.
Other Half Brewing is used to large growth targets, posting double-digit volume growth nearly every year since its inception in 2014, according to data from the Brewers Association (BA).
Crane Brewing (Raytown, Missouri), has closed after 11 years. In its early days, the brewery built its name on the homebrew and beer fest circuit with namesake Michael Crane’s sour ales and magenta-hued beet beer.
Boston Beer Company is willing to fail fast with new fourth category products in order to find its next big brand, founder and CEO Jim Koch shared during last week’s Barclays’ Global Consumer Staples Conference.
Nearly five months after ceasing production at its hometown brewery, Tilray-owned Hop Valley (Eugene, Oregon) will close the brewery’s taproom as it scouts a new location, a spokesperson told Brewbound.
21st Amendment Brewery is ceasing operations after 25 years, as founders Shaun O’Sullivan and Nico Freccia seek a buyer for the legacy craft beer brand.
Garage Beer, the light beer brand that achieved national prominence when NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce invested in it last year, has received “strategic growth investment” from Durational Capital Management, the company announced today.
Dan Kleban, founder of Freeport-based Maine Beer Co., has entered the race to unseat longtime U.S. Senator Susan Collins. Kleban is the latest candidate to join a growing field of challengers in the state’s Democratic primary to take on Collins, a Republican, in 2026.