Craft “outpaces” US beer market despite another production decline

US trade brew accumulation fell again successful 2025 but the class performed amended than the remainder of the market, according to information from the Brewers Association.

The commercialized body, which represents tiny and autarkic brewers successful the US, said trade brew accumulation fell 5.1% past twelvemonth to 21.9 cardinal barrels.

Even so, trade somewhat accrued its stock of the full brew marketplace by measurement to 13.3% successful 2025, from 13.2% a twelvemonth earlier.

“Craft brew outpaced the wide brew category, which declined 5.7% by volume, highlighting comparative resilience wrong a contracting market,” the relation said.

Brewers Association unit economist Matt Gacioch added: “The manufacture outlook points towards cautious optimism, arsenic shifting trends connection anticipation for a much unchangeable way guardant aft respective challenging years.

“While it’s astir apt premature to accidental the manufacture has settled into a ‘new normal,’ determination are galore indications that we are moving successful that direction.

“What’s astir guaranteed is that occurrence going guardant volition travel down to creating thing meaningful and memorable for consumers. Breweries that present accordant quality, quality transportation and unsocial experiences volition basal out.”

Volumes crossed each of the "business models" monitored by the Brewers Association fell twelvemonth connected year. Brewpubs saw volumes diminution 1.7% portion volumes done taprooms dropped 3.9%.

Regional breweries saw volumes autumn 5.9%. Microbreweries posted the steepest decline, with volumes down 8.9%.

The Brewers Association said US retail dollar income for trade brew fell 3.6% to $27.8bn. The class maintained a 24.6% stock of full brew retail dollar sales, which the relation said was "essentially unchanged" connected 2024.

The smaller driblet successful worth than successful measurement reflected higher mean prices and an ongoing displacement toward on-site depletion done taprooms and brewpubs, wherever per-unit pricing is typically higher.

Employment successful the trade brewing assemblage declined 4% twelvemonth connected twelvemonth to 189,000 jobs.

The relation said staffing “held up amended than production”, supported by hospitality-led brewery models that necessitate much employees per tube produced.

The fig of operating US trade breweries fell 2.9% to 9,578 successful 2025.

That full included 1,994 microbreweries, 3,525 brewpubs, 3,784 taprooms and 275 determination breweries.

Three 100 trade breweries opened successful 2025, down from 518 successful 2024. Some 481 closed, versus 591 a twelvemonth earlier, which the Brewers Association said pointed to a "more mature and competitory marketplace with less untapped opportunities for caller marketplace entrants".