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%.
Tilray Brands’ 2025 fiscal year ended with mixed results, as the Canadian cannabis and U.S. craft beer platform generated $821.3 million in net revenue ($833.7 million in constant currency) across its various business units for full-year 2025 (FY25, ending May 31, 2025), marking a 4% increase year-over-year (YoY).
After years of rapid growth, warnings that the U.S. craft beer industry was approaching oversaturation have become a reality for brewers. Combined with a new generation of young adults less thirsty for alcohol than their forebears and the impacts of new and increased tariffs, craft brewers are seeing a growing wave of mergers, acquisitions and divestments shake out and transform the industry landscape.
After reaching nationwide distribution in 2023, Bell’s Brewery has refocused on its core Great Lakes markets. New Belgium CEO Shaun Belongie explained that the Michigan craft brand struggled in far away markets, leading the company to double down at home.
Craft remained in the red in the last four weeks (L4W, data ending July 13), with dollar sales (-4.7%) and volume, measured in case sales, (-6.3%) in Circana-tracked off-premise channels (multi-outlet plus convenience) both failing to keep up with 2024 comps. However, craft’s declines decelerated compared to the previous L4W (data ending June 15), when dollar sales were down 6.7% and volume declined 8.4%.
Concessions workers at Boston’s Fenway Park have gone on strike and their union, Unite Here Local 26, is asking spectators not to purchase food or drinks while attending Red Sox games.
Beer volume from Brewers Association-defined (BA) craft breweries has declined 5% through the first half of 2025 compared to 2024, according to the trade organization’s midyear market report, which was published Wednesday following a survey of members.
Brewery-incubator Pilot Project opened its second Chicago location last week, located in the heart of Wrigleyville. The 3,500 sq. ft. space on N. Clark St. is less than a 5-minute walk from Wrigley Park (home of the Cubs), and includes a large patio space, full menu and a downstairs “Devious” cocktail lounge – branded after Pilot Project’s own line of canned cocktails.
The notion of dessert is threaded throughout this year’s Bourbon County Brand Stout (BCBS) lineup from Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned Goose Island.
New Belgium is still feeling the effects of Hurricane Helene almost one year after the deadly storm devastated western North Carolina. Even as the company’s Asheville production facility has come back online, New Belgium is dealing with tough decisions made in the aftermath.
Fans of New England Brewing Co. (NEBCO) will soon be able to enjoy the brewery’s offerings in its new waterfront taproom, it announced last week. The Woodbridge, Connecticut-based brewery has acquired Stony Creek Brewing’s facility, which sits 13 miles away on the banks of the Branford River in the Connecticut town of the same name.
New Belgium Brewing Company turned down the innovation firehose to a drip – for the most part – to start 2025. Yes, the company did add “Mini Rippers,” 7.5 oz. 8-pack cans of Voodoo Ranger Juice Force and Tropic Force (both 9.5% ABV). And it rolled out LightStrike, a 5% ABV non-carbonated hard refresher line, aimed at Millennials and Generation Z consumers.
Calicraft Brewing is on pace to grow 80% in 2025, after 30% growth in 2024. The Walnut Creek, California-based craft brewery has been able to buck national craft trends by cleaning up production, making key hires and refocusing its portfolio. Now, the company plans to expand that growth into ready-to-drink cocktails, launching in 2026.
Constellation Brands’ Modelo Especial’s dollar sales in California are larger than its next 3 competitors in the Golden State combined YTD through July 4, according to data from Fintech, presented in a webinar by NBWA chief economist and VP of analytics Lester Jones and Fintech VP of distributor strategy Eric Kiser.
Jack McAuliffe, who is credited with helping start the modern craft beer movement by co-founding New Albion Brewing (Sonoma, CA) in 1976, died Tuesday at age 80 at his home in Arkansas, his daughter Renee DeLuca shared.
