U.S. craft brewery sales to grow 8% in 2021

According to the latest figures, U.S. craft breweries produced a total of 24.8 million barrels of beer last year.

In the American Brewers Association’s Craft Brewing Industry Annual Production Report, findings show that the U.S. craft beer industry will grow 8% in 2021, increasing the overall craft beer market share from 12.2% in 2020 to 13.1%.
The data shows that the overall sales volume of the U.S. beer market in 2021 will increase by 1%, and retail sales are estimated to be $26.9 billion, accounting for 26.8% of the market, an increase of 21% from 2020.
As the data shows, retail sales have grown stronger than sales, largely because people have shifted to bars and restaurants, where the average retail value is higher than sales through in-store and online orders.
Additionally, the report shows that the craft beer industry provides more than 172,643 direct jobs, a 25% increase from 2020, showing that the industry is giving back to the economy and helping people escape unemployment.
Bart Watson, chief economist at the American Brewers Association, said: “Craft beer sales rebounded in 2021, buoyed by a recovery in cask and brewery traffic. However, performance was mixed across business models and geographies, and Still lagging 2019 production levels, indicating that many breweries are still in a recovery phase. Combined with continued supply chain and pricing challenges, 2022 will be a pivotal year for many brewers.”
The American Brewers Association highlights that the number of craft breweries operating in 2021 continues to climb, reaching an all-time high of 9,118, including 1,886 microbreweries, 3,307 homebrew bars, 3,702 pub breweries and 223 Regional craft brewery. The total number of breweries in operation was 9,247, up from 9,025 in 2020, showing signs of recovery in the industry.
In all of 2021, 646 new breweries opened and 178 closed. However, the number of new brewery openings fell for the second year in a row, with the continued decline reflecting a more mature market. In addition, the report highlighted the current pandemic challenges and rising interest rates as other factors.
On the positive side, small and independent brewery closures have also declined in 2021, likely thanks to improved sales figures and additional government bailouts for brewers.
Bart Watson explained: “While it’s true that the brewery boom has slowed a few years ago, the continued growth in the number of small breweries shows that there is a solid foundation for their business and demand for their beer.”
In addition, the American Brewers Association released a list of the top 50 craft beer companies and overall brewing companies in the United States by annual beer sales. Most notably, 40 of the top 50 beer companies in 2021 are small and independent craft beer companies, suggesting that America’s appetite for authentic craft beer exceeds that of large corporate-owned beer brands.