This is according to the Brewers Alliance, a non-profit trade association for small and independent American craft brewers. It has just released its outlook for 2023 breweries and these here are its key findings:
• Brewery openings will be the lowest in over a decade
• Distributed craft volume will not grow
• Supply chain will remain rocky, but collectively average prices will come down from 2022 peaks
• Total brewery employment will increase
“Riding through a challenging and competitive year, taprooms and brewpubs found ways to innovate and keep customers coming through the door, while brands with a retail presence continued to compete with other beverage alcohol choices for shelf space,” said Bart Watson, chief economist of Brewers Association. “2023 will be a reset for many brewers as they return to more conscious and thoughtful innovation to balance customer demand and adapt to supply chain fluctuations.”
The challenges include supply shortages and distribution in a very crowded field. Small and local brewpubs and taprooms fared better than micros and regionals in 2023, the association reported.
There are more than 9,500 new breweries in the United States. There were more than 500 openings and more than 200 that closed.
Americans still like to drink their beer, as evidenced by attendance at the 40th anniversary of the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. In 2022, some 40,000 people attended and there were 500 breweries from 46 states plus Washington, D.C., with more than 2,000 different beers poured at the event.
The complete report can be found at Year in Beer – Brewers Association
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