USA: Craft brewery count declines for first time since 2005

The Brewers Association (BA) has published its annual report on the U.S. craft brewing industry for 2024, revealing a continued shift within a maturing and competitive market. According to the figures released on April 15, 2025, U.S. craft brewers produced 23.1 million barrels (27.1 million hectoliters) of beer last year, marking a 4.0% decline compared to 2023. Despite the downturn in volume, the craft beer segment maintained a stable market share of 13.3% by volume, as the overall U.S. beer market contracted by 1.2%.

While production slipped, the craft brewing sector experienced a rise in its retail dollar value, which increased by 3% to an estimated USD 28.9 billion. This growth reflects the impact of pricing strategies and a stronger performance in onsite sales channels, such as taprooms and brewpubs, which continue to outperform distributed sales. Craft beer accounted for 24.7% of total U.S. beer retail sales in dollar terms.

The number of operating craft breweries stood at 9,612 at the end of 2024, including 3,695 taproom breweries, 3,389 brewpubs, 1,934 microbreweries, and 266 regional craft breweries. This marks the first annual decline in the number of craft breweries in the U.S. since 2005, when a brief dip followed the shakeout of underperforming breweries that had emerged during the rapid growth of the 1990s. In 2023, the U.S. had reached a record 9,738 craft breweries, the highest number ever recorded (inside.beer, 16.4.2024). Over the past year, 434 new breweries opened, while 501 closed. The overall number of U.S. breweries, including non-craft producers, dropped from 9,747 to 9,680.

Employment in the sector rose to 197,112 jobs—a 3% year-over-year increase—driven by the labor-intensive nature of hospitality-focused business models. According to Matt Gacioch, staff economist at the Brewers Association, the industry’s resilience lies in its adaptability: “While progress may not come in additional production volume, it can still come in honing operations, business practices, and world-class beer.”

However, challenges persist. Small and independent brewers are facing mounting cost pressures from tariffs on imported brewing equipment, raw materials like malt and hops, and packaging supplies such as aluminum cans and steel kegs. These headwinds are forcing many producers to rethink expansion plans or raise prices, often at the expense of margins.

Still, there are signs of vitality. The BA’s updated ranking of the top 50 U.S. craft brewing companies shows that 41 of the overall top 50 brewers in 2024 qualified as small and independent. Eight new entrants joined the top 50 craft list last year, signaling ongoing dynamism. D.G. Yuengling and Son, Boston Beer Co, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co held the top three positions among craft brewers, while Anheuser-Busch, MolsonCoors, and Constellation topped the overall rankings.

“In a mature market, not every year is going to be defined by substantial growth,” said Gacioch. “There is still plenty of room for optimism in our industry.”

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies (as compiled by the Brewers Association)