Despite the ongoing pandemic, more than 9,000 breweries operated in the United States in 2021, a 6% increase from 2020, according to the Brewers Association (BA).
“Coming out of a challenging year, small and independent breweries persevered and found new ways to innovate among a changing environment and evolving consumer preferences and expectations,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO of the BA in an association recap of the year.
The report said that there were a total of 710 brewery openings during the year and 176 closings.
The association also included in the report some predictions for next year. The BA projects that comparable craft production will exceed 2019 levels and that on premise sales will improve, but draught will still not be back to 2019 levels in 2022. They also project that operating brewery numbers will continue to climb, but at a lower rate than in previous years.
See the full report here.