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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.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS) has consistently charged independent retailers as much as 12% to 67% more than national and regional chains for the same products, according to newly unsealed redactions in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) price discrimination case against the distributor.
Oregon bev-alc consumers may have to open their wallets and pay sales tax for the first time, should proposed amendments to House Bill 3197 pass. Amendments proposed by Rep. Tawna Sanchez were made public Tuesday, and would add an up to 8% retail sales tax on purchases of “malt beverages, cider and wine” in the state.
As tariff talks continue to expand, suppliers say they are losing purchase orders, facing the possibility of consumers trading down, and quickly assessing how to position their portfolios.
Longtime lead lobbyist Katie Marisic has exited the Brewers Association (BA), where she was senior director of federal affairs. Marisic represented craft brewers’ voices and the BA in Washington, D.C. for a decade.
American whiskey producers are once again swept up in a trade dispute that has unfurled pricey tariffs on their exports to Europe.
President Donald Trump is now threatening to double tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Canada, increasing them from 25% to 50%, according to his social media posts. The move is in retaliation for a 25% surcharge placed by Ontario on electricity to the U.S.
Domestic beer shipments are off to a rough start in 2025. U.S. beer shipments declined -8.7% year-over-year (YoY) in January 2025, as brewers shipped 10.55 million barrels, according to estimates of domestic tax paid shipments from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), shared by the Beer Institute (BI). The decline amounted to more than 1 million fewer barrels being shipped YoY.
As painful as 2024 was for craft brewers, the year seemed to be equally as challenging for the trade group that represents them. The Brewers Association’s (BA) total revenue declined -9.3%, to $20,972,476 in 2024, according to its annual report, which was published Monday.
As President Trump moves forward with tariffs, the spirits industry is bracing for a trade war that could bring price increases and shake up the backbar.
President Donald Trump launched a trade war today with the United States’ North American trade partners, Canada and Mexico, implementing 25% tariffs on goods imported from each country. Trump also doubled existing duties on goods from China to 20%.
Distributor sentiment cratered in February 2025, with the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) survey recording a 14-point, year-over-year (YoY) decline to an index of 35.
Maryland lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand beer and wine sales licenses to the state’s grocery, convenience, mass retail and warehouse stores. However, House Bill 1379 “faced tough questioning in committee and faces a tough road to passage in the House,” Maryland Matters reported, citing a nearly three-hour debate over it last week.
Georgia craft brewers may soon have more options to take their products to market, as the state Senate is considering a bill that would legalize self-distribution. The Craft Beer and Local Economy Revitalization Act (S.B. 122) would permit small breweries to sell up to 3,000 barrels annually “to retailers licensed in this state that are located within a 100-mile radius of the small brewer’s licensed premises,” the bill reads.
Constellation Brands is facing a federal securities class-action lawsuit from an investor who alleges the company shared false information about its positive outlook for its challenged wine and spirits division.
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) in its annual economic briefing on Tuesday warned that the declining U.S. spirits market will likely continue to face challenges for the foreseeable future.
