That’s an estimate from the Brewers Association, which noted its 2019 midyear survey measured 4% production growth year-over-year for small and independent brewers, slightly down from 5% in 2018. IRI Group scan data numbers through mid-November showed 2% growth for BA-defined craft brewers, similar to 2018 during the same period, and given reports in the second half of the year, 4% overall growth again seems likely for 2019, BA said..
Final 2019 numbers are still being compiled, but BA said it is certain that more than 8,000 American breweries operated in 2019, a record number for the United States. At the same time, the competitive market led to more closures, and an estimated 300 breweries will have closed in 2019.
Brewery growth has driven tremendous job growth as well. The BA’s Economic Impact Report, a biennial analysis featuring economic data of craft brewing for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, showed that craft brewers contributed $79.1 million to the U.S. economy in 2018, a 4% increase from 2017. Craft brewers were responsible for more than 550,000 full-time equivalent jobs, an 11% increase from 2017, with 150,000 of those jobs directly at breweries and brewpubs.