Craft Beer Closures Surge in 2025: US Market Shifts to Low-ABV, Premium Trends and Global Growth
Net Closures Reshape US Craft Landscape
The US craft beer industry recorded **434 brewery closures** against **268 openings** in 2025, continuing a post-pandemic contraction driven by rising costs and shifting consumer tastes (American Craft Beer, December 22, 2025, https://www.americancraftbeer.com/american-craft-beer-industry-faces-uncertain-future-christmas-2025/; Karl GD’s Substack, This Week’s Beer News, https://karlgdb.substack.com/p/this-weeks-beer-news-counting-breweries).
**IPAs**, accounting for 33.8% of revenue, faced consumer fatigue as drinkers turned to lighter options like lagers and low-ABV beers (IBISWorld, 2025, https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/craft-beer-production/4302/).
Surviving breweries focused on **taprooms**, hyper-local ingredients, and direct-to-consumer sales, projecting a 1.6% CAGR through 2030 (American Craft Beer, December 22, 2025, https://www.americancraftbeer.com/american-craft-beer-industry-faces-uncertain-future-christmas-2025/).
On-Premise Trends Favor Health-Conscious Choices
Early 2025 on-premise data shows **non-alcoholic beer** surging 33.7% year-over-year, with **non-alcoholic IPAs** up over 170% and stouts by 130% (CGA by NIQ, On Premise Impact Report, 2025, https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/featured/navigating-the-u-s-on-premise-consumer-in-2025-key-insights-for-craft-brewers/).
A third of consumers plan healthier drinks, with 25% moderating alcohol, boosting demand for low-ABV craft options (CGA by NIQ, On Premise Impact Report, 2025, https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/featured/navigating-the-u-s-on-premise-consumer-in-2025-key-insights-for-craft-brewers/).
**Premiumization** drives 20% of drinkers toward higher-quality beers, while ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages gained 0.4 market share points, challenging traditional beer dominance (CGA by NIQ, On Premise Impact Report, 2025, https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/featured/navigating-the-u-s-on-premise-consumer-in-2025-key-insights-for-craft-brewers/).
Craft brewers innovate with family-friendly taprooms, cocktail menus, and beer-based RTDs to capture broader audiences (CGA by NIQ, On Premise Impact Report, 2025, https://www.craftbrewingbusiness.com/featured/navigating-the-u-s-on-premise-consumer-in-2025-key-insights-for-craft-brewers/).
Regulatory Boosts and Big Player Moves
New York Governor signed a bill on December 24 boosting craft beverage manufacturing incentives, aiding small producers amid pressures (MidHudson News, December 24, 2025, https://midhudsonnews.com/2025/12/24/bill-to-increase-craft-beverage-manufacturing-signed-into-law/).
Major players restructured: **Anheuser-Busch InBev** planned cuts to three megaplants and saw New Belgium match its craft volumes mid-year (VinePair, 2025, https://vinepair.com/articles/hop-take-beer-industry-news-stories-2025-lookback/).
**Pabst** laid off half its workforce, including a new light-lager team, signaling caution in launches (VinePair, 2025, https://vinepair.com/articles/hop-take-beer-industry-news-stories-2025-lookback/).
**Alamo Beer Co.** acquisition by SKJ Capital provided stability for one operator (VinePair, 2025, https://vinepair.com/articles/hop-take-beer-industry-news-stories-2025-lookback/).
Global Market Expansion Amid US Challenges
The global beer market reached **$804.65 billion** in 2025, forecasted to hit **$998.98 billion** by 2030 through premiumization and innovation (Beer Connoisseur, 2025, https://beerconnoisseur.com/beer-market-growth-trends-2025-2030/).
US craft breweries numbered 9,269 by mid-2025, down 1% year-over-year, with successes in draft beer at 52.3% of on-premise volume, up 8.1% in distribution (Brewers Association, 2025 Midyear Report, https://www.brewersassociation.org/association-news/2025-midyear-report/; CGA by NIQ, 2025, https://www.hopculture.com/top-craft-beer-trends-2025/).
Trends point to approachable beers, sustainability, and no/low-alcohol RTDs as growth drivers into 2026 (SevenFifty Daily, 2025, https://daily.sevenfifty.com/6-beer-industry-trends-to-watch-in-2025/).