Americans are in a beer frenzy.
The burst in growth, already at a record high of 6,655 breweries – 1,100 more than last year– is set to surge even more, according to the Brewers Association.
They told Secrets that there are 2,500 to 3,000 more breweries on the drawing board, though some will likely close too. That near 10,000 compares to just 1,574 10 years ago.
And in addition to the non-stop addition of craft brewers throughout the nation, sales and production remain up. The Association said that production from small and independent brewers was up 5 percent the the first half of 2018.
“The data demonstrate that 2018 is on pace to have the highest number of brewery openings and closings to date. However, even as breweries close, openings continue to far outpace the number that shutter,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association.
In its latest survey, Gallup found that Americans are drinking more beer than wine or hard liquor.
What’s more, beer is becoming the choice for “more educated, higher-income Americans,” a good thing for an industry that has stretched the limits of unusual recipes and can charge as much as $10 a glass.
