Brewers Association: 2024 in beer

USA | As 2024 comes to a close, the Brewers Association (BA) looks back at a year marked by a decrease in sales and diminished offerings. In the BA’s midyear survey, craft beer saw a 2 percent decline in production, which was steeper than in the full year 2023 (-1 percent). In the second half of this year, beer sales continued to slow down, suggesting a full-year number that may be weaker than the midyear estimate.

“Craft has been going through a painful period of rationalization as demand growth has slowed and retailers and distributors look to simplify their offerings or add options for flavour and variety outside of the craft category,” said Bart Watson, the BA’s vice president of strategy and membership.

The numbers

There were a total of 9 736 small and independent breweries in operation in 2024. The industry saw 335 new brewery openings and 399 closings. Despite the slight decline in the number of breweries, closings remain a low percentage of total operating breweries, the BA insisted.

All in all, the craft beer industry supported nearly 460 000 jobs and contributed an estimated USD 77.1 billion to the US economy.

Looking ahead

“As the craft beer landscape evolves, the industry is poised for another challenging year in 2025, with additional uncertainty, potential tariffs and rising costs, retailers and distributors looking to simplify offerings, and potential new dietary guidelines for beverage alcohol. Market pressures will likely lead to continued consolidation and alliances to cut costs and utilize excess capacity,” the BA forecasted.