Craft Beer

The 2026 edition of the Brewers Association’s Craft Brewers Conference (in Philadelphia (April 20-22) arrives amid turbulence for the trade association’s membership and an evolution of its marquee event. The craft brewing industry has now recorded three consecutive years of declines as craft brewers fight for relevance in a crowded total beverage marketplace.

The 2026 Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) is just days away. This year’s CBC may be shorter than previous incarnations, but it’s still a packed three days of education, networking and deal seeking. Beyond the main stage presentation, there are plenty of education sessions that should be on your radar. Here are 10 sessions that caught our attention.

Philadelphia’s Evil Genius Beer Co. has acquired the 21st Amendment (21A) brand, reviving its offerings after the 25-year-old San Francisco brewery shut down last year.

Over the last two years, 1,072 craft breweries have shuttered, while 817 new breweries opened. Speaking to Brewbound following Tuesday’s release of the Brewers Association’s (BA) Industry Production Report, staff economist Matt Gacioch zeroed in on the brewery opening number.

Beneath the surface of craft beer’s 2025 production decline (-5.1%, to nearly 21.86 million barrels) were power moves, usurpings and stumbles among the industry’s top 50 breweries, which the Brewers Association (BA) released today.

Craft brewers’ production volume fell a collective 5.1% in 2025, according to the Brewers Association’s (BA) annual Industry Production Report, published today.

Brooklyn Brewery’s non-alcoholic beer line is getting a rebrand and dropping the Special Effects moniker used since the line’s 2019 launch. Moving forward, the NA beer brand family will be Brooklyn Brewery Non-Alcoholic.

New Belgium Brewing’s portfolio is craft’s top share gainer through Q1, CEO Shaun Belongie shared recently. The Kirin-owned New Belgium craft portfolio, which includes New Belgium’s offerings (Voodoo Ranger, Fat Tire and more), and Bell’s Brewery (Two Hearted, Oberon and more) snagged share by growing volume 3.2% year-to-date.

Molson Coors-aligned Baker Distributing acquired fellow Vermont blue/silver network house Calmont Beverage last month, according to a memo to suppliers obtained by Brewbound.

Unsurprisingly, the most expensive city to grab a beer is New York, according to a recent report from on-premise POS firm Toast. The median pint costs $9.16 in the Big Apple, likely driven up by Manhattan, as Toast reported the median pint across the East River in Brooklyn is $8.02.

The Brewers Association (BA) will honor a trio of industry members with nearly a century of experience among them during its annual Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) later this month in Philadelphia.

The brewmaster who helped shape Stone Brewing’s portfolio during the mid-2000s craft ascension and established New Realm Brewing has joined Abita Brewing Company. Mitch Steele, known for helping popularize hop-forward beers, is Abita’s new director of brewing operations.

Craft’s off-premise trends turned negative in March after two months of positive dollar sales, according to the latest monthly report from market research firm Circana. Year-to-date (YTD) through March 22, the segment recorded declines in dollar sales (-0.3%) and volume (-2.1%) at Circana-tracked multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience stores (MULO+C).

Dogfish Head is looking to extend its long, strange trip back to growth in 2026. Following the launch of Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale last year – which helped return Dogfish Head to growth – the Boston Beer Company-owned craft brewery is leaning even further into its partnership with the Grateful Dead and releasing a “Volume 2” collaboration: Citrus Daydream Lager.