Perhaps they overdid it.
U.S. brewers wasted no time rebuilding inventories at wholesalers after the pandemic, with the result distributors had an abundance of product in the early months of the summer. The result: Shipments slowed considerably beginning in July, into August and September. Domestic tax paid shipments fell 5.1% in September to 14.8 million barrels from the year-earlier month, the Beer Institute said.
Danelle Kosmal, Beer Institute’s vp-research, noted year-earlier comparisons were very strong. September was one of the strongest performing months of 2020, when domestic tax paid was up 5.1% to 15.6 million barrels.
For 2021 through Sept. 30, beer shipments are up 0.8% to 129.4 million barrels.