Craft beer sales rose 18 percent during first six months

This news will make some chew their hankies. Small and independent craft brewers enjoyed continued growth in the first half of 2014, according to new mid-year data released by the Brewers Association (BA). U.S. craft beer production volume increased 18 percent during the first half of the year, while overall beer sales are estimated to have declined 0.5 percent.

From January through the end of June 2014, approximately 10.6 million barrels of beer (12.4 million hl) were sold by craft brewers, compared with 9.0 million barrels during the first half of 2013.

The 18 percent growth rate is based on the tweaked craft brewer definition and derived from comparable barrel total from the first half of 2013. But even so it’s impressive.

In February 2014, the Brewers Association Board of Directors approved changes to the definition of a craft brewer. It now reads: An American craft brewer is small (producing less than 6 million barrels of beer), independent (Big Brewers must have less than a 25 percent stake in it) and – here it comes – “traditional”. Whereas before “traditional” meant that craft beers had to be all-malt, the BA’s board decided to soften its stance against the use of rice and corn as adjuncts to admit the three oldest U.S. brewers August Schell, Straub and Yuengling.

“The revised definition [of “traditional”] provides room for the innovative capabilities of craft brewers to develop new beer styles and be creative within existing beer styles,” Gary Fish, Chair of the BA Board of Directors said at the time.

As of 30 June 2014, there were 3,040 breweries operating in the U.S., 99 percent of which were small and independent craft breweries. Additionally, there were 1,929 breweries in various stages of planning.

U.S. craft beer volumes – nice track record