CRAFT STAYS ON DOMINANT PACE . . .

THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION (BA) has released 2O13 data on US craft brewing growth. As a primary driver of growth in the beer industry, there was an 18 percent rise in volume, representing a total of 15.6 million barrels, and a 2O percent increase in retail dollar value. In 2O13, craft brewers reached 7.8 percent volume of the total US beer market, up from 6.5 percent the previous year. Additionally, dollar share of the total domestic beer market reached 14.3 percent in 2O13, as retail dollar value from the category was estimated at $14.3 billion, up from $11.9 billion in 2O12. The number of operating breweries in the US in 2O13 totaled 2822, with 2768 of those considered craft, demonstrating that craft breweries make up 98 percent of all US operating breweries. This count includes 413 new brewery openings and 44 closings. Combined with already existing and established breweries and brewpubs, craft brewers provided 11O,273 jobs, an increase of almost 2OOO from the previous year. A more extensive analysis of the numbers was released during the Craft Brewers Conference in Denver on April 8. The full 2O13 industry analysis will be published in the May/June 2O14 issue of THE NEW BREWER, highlighting regional trends and sales by individual breweries.