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Americans are consuming less beer these days, and it has raised concern for the National Beer Wholesalers Association.
The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA), one of the key beer industry organizations, got together this week for a convention which brought in more than 2,600 beer distributors and others in the industry.
In his opening statements, NBWA president and CEO Craig Purser emphasized the growing concern regarding the decrease in beer sales.
“This isn’t a red, blue/silver, gold or green network issue, folks,” said Purser. “This is an industry-wide, five-alarm fire. And the only way we’re going to fix it is to run toward that fire with purpose and with a plan.”
The decline of beer consumption has been attributed in part to the legalization of marijuana.
Craft brewers in particular have had a tough time with sales. With lots of competition around the country as a result of the craft beer boom, there are more than 9,500 breweries with nearly 16,000 craft brands that are competing for shelf space and consumers’ money.
Last year was difficult for many craft brewers in Indiana. However, we still have some distinguished craft breweries in the Hoosier state that are experiencing success.
3 Floyds remains the state’s largest independent brewery at nearly 108,000 barrels sold in 2022, a 1% increase from the prior year. The brewer from Munster, Indiana ranks the 24th largest in the country, according to the association’s data.
Another reputable brewery is Indianapolis’ Sun King Brewery, which does roughly 30,000 barrels a year. Sun King recently won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival for its Soul Shakedown Party in the experimental wood-aged beer category, and Sunlight Cream Ale took silver for a golden or blonde ale.
Daredevil Brewing in Speedway posted the largest gains with a 25% increase in the last year.
