What’s going on with the US beer industry?

Is the US beer sector in demand or in decline? Ron Emler investigates the current state of play for the industry. The perceived wisdom is that US consumers are switching from spirits and wine to beer as they curb their spending in the face of price rises and inflationary pressures on domestic budgets. That, however, is only a partial picture because overall beer consumption in the U.S fell in 2023 to its lowest level since the 1970s, according to the Brewers’ Association. The popularity of hard seltzers and lower alcohol consumption in general have led to craft breweries facing hard times with players such as Constellation Brands and AB InBev having sold off or closed some of the small companies they bought only a few years ago as tastes swing away from pale ales and IPAs especially. The once-booming craft beer industry has slimmed down, with microbrewery closings outpacing openings for the first time in 2023, according to the Brewers Association. Some demand has been replaced by ...