Study: Craft beer industry shows record growth yet again
The Brewers Association this week released preliminary numbers from its annual study on growth in the craft beer industry, and yet again the numbers show an industry on the upswing.
Some highlights from the report:
-Volume share of the national beer market for craft brewers hit 6.5 percent in 2012, up from 5.7 percent the year before and from 4 percent in 2008.
-There were 2,347 craft breweries operating in 2012, up nearly 400 from 2011 and nearly 1,000 since 2006.
-The retail value of the craft beer industry was set at $10.2 billion in 2012, a roughly 10.2 percent share of the country’s $99 billion beer industry.
-The craft beer industry grew 17 percent in value from 2011 to 2012.
-Craft brewer volume grew by 15 percent in 2012, while the beer industry as a whole saw a 1 percent growth in volume.
-13.2 million barrels of craft beer were produced in 2012, up 1.7 million from the prior year and more than 6 million since 2006.
-The craft industry saw 409 new breweries in 2012, up from 275 openings in 2011.
-Small brewing companies employed 108,440 people in 2012, a 4.6 percent increase over 2011.
All in all, these numbers show that the craft beer industry is a force that really is rolling right now — a fact that is not lost on the craft beer fans here in Oklahoma, as we’ve several new brewers and breweries added over the past few years.
Daily Pints
-It’s not too late to sign up for The Thirsty Beagle March Madness Bracket Challenge. It’s free to enter, and the winner gets a free T-shirt. And, I’m guaranteeing I will beat down all challengers this year!
-Remember that Kickstarter project Prairie Artisan Ales started up? Well, things went well. They’ve blown past their goal with more than three weeks to spare.
-McNellie’s OKC moved its weekly Monday pint night to Thursday this week to allow some breathing room after St. Patrick’s Day. The offering on Thursday will be the new Shiner FM 966 Farmhouse Ale.
-TapWerks floated an idea on Twitter yesterday: For American Craft Beer Week in May, switch all 106 taps to American craft beer. Pure genius!
-Speaking of Shiner, if you’re a fan of Shiner’s Ruby Redbird summer seasonal and canned beer, you’re in luck. Ruby Redbird will be in cans for the first time this year.
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