The Brewers Association released their annual report Tuesday, showcasing how the craft beer industry is faring amid a rapidly shifting market.

Overall, craft beer production in America fell by 5.1 percent in 2025, just below the overall beer industry’s decline of 5.7 percent. Brewpubs, defined as breweries will full kitchens, only saw a 1.7-percent decline, as opposed to the food-less microbreweries dropping by 8.9 percent.

Remember how once upon a time, the market seemed to be pushing breweries away from food and to a beer-only model? My, how that has changed.

And, while things don’t seem as dire for brewpubs, remember, this only covers beer production. It does not include the rapidly rising cost of all things food for restaurants across the country.

When gauging the market share, things look a little better. Craft beer accounted for 13.3 percent of the volume of the beer market, up by a tenth of a percent from 2024. Craft beer also held steady at 24.6 percent of retail beer sales.

On the downside, the total craft beer work force dropped to 189,000 jobs, down by 4 percent (8,000 jobs) from the prior year. That is less of a drop than seen with production, but it still stings.

Closures remained ahead of new brewery openings in 2025. Only 300 breweries opened nationwide, down from 518 in 2024, but closures did drop from 591 to 481. There are now 9,578 craft breweries operating across the country.

The BA did try to spin the report, somewhat, to a more positive angle.

“The industry outlook points towards cautious optimism, as shifting trends offer hope for a more stable path forward after several challenging years,” said Matt Gacioch, staff economist at the Brewers Association. “While it’s probably premature to say the industry has settled into a ‘new normal,’ there are many indications that we are moving in that direction. What’s nearly guaranteed is that success going forward will come down to creating something meaningful and memorable for consumers. Breweries that deliver consistent quality, human connection, and unique experiences will stand out.”

We did reach out to the BA to see if there is a more regional breakdown of the report, so that we can see how the Southwest and New Mexico compare to other parts of the country. If we get a reply, look for either an update of this post or a separate story in the near future.

Until then, about all we can do as beer lovers is to continue to follow the same mantra that I post before my sign-off.

Keep supporting local!

— Stoutmeister