🌎 How 2023 US Beer Production Fared vs. Global Trends

Brewbound Insiders are diving into 2023 global beer production data from international hop supplier BarthHaas. The report includes which countries and companies contributed the most to total beer volume. 

Insiders are also:

• Checking out this year’s Goose Island Bourbon County Stout lineup;
• Learning about people moves at Monday Night Brewing;
• Reading about a massive Surfside purchase that drew the brand’s attention.

Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content.

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HPA’s hyper focus on hop quality has also paid off, with this year’s oil content coming in equal or above the 5-year average. It should be a great year of true-to-type flavors and aromas in beer. Contact HAAS and their distribution partners to get your hands on some new crop 2024 Aussie hops today. Learn more

An estimated 1.884 billion hectoliters (hl), or 1.58 billion barrels, of beer were produced worldwide in 2023, a -0.9% decline year-over-year (YoY), according to global hop supplier BarthHaas in its annual report.

Brewbound dove into hop trends from the report last week, including an +11.5% increase in crop yield despite shrinking hop acreage. Some of the beer production numbers are estimates, as “it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain figures for beer output volume for individual countries,” BarthHaas wrote. 

China continues to reign as the No. 1 beer producing country, making 359.08 million hl (301.14 million barrels) in 2023, equivalent to 19.1% share of global beer volume. The country’s production volume declined by -1.325 million hl (1.11 million barrels) compared to 2022, when China produced more than 360.4 million hl of beer (302.23 million barrels).

Insiders can read more, including production volume for the remaining top 10 countries, and top brewery rankings.

Look out for coverage of not one, but two midyear industry updates hitting your feeds midweek. 

First, Brewers Association chief economist and VP of strategy Bart Watson will give a rundown on craft data trends through the first six months of 2023, including the results of the BA’s midyear production survey. 

Then, National Beer Wholesalers Association chief economist Lester Jones and Fintech VP of distributor strategy Eric Kiser will look at industry, brand and packaging trends in the on- and off-premise so far this year, and how they compared to 2023. 

Plus, a fresh Brewbound Podcast discussing Friday Beers, a light lager brand launched by an entertainment company that has turned viral memes and Gen Z/Millennial drinking culture into a business. Brewbound chats with Friday Media co-founder and CEO Jack Barrett and Corestone Capital founder and CEO Will McDonough.

Brewers Association (BA) president and CEO Bob Pease joined the Brewbound Podcast last week to discuss his impending 2025 retirement, what led to the decision and what he plans to do next. Pease and the Brewbound team also reflect on Pease’s 32 years with the BA, and how the trade organization has changed over the past three decades. 

Whoever takes over for Pease will help guide the BA through new dietary guidelines for bev-alc, which are being explored now and will be released in 2025. Two studies hoping to inform new guidelines have drawn the attention of media outlets outside of bev-alc. More details in the link above. 

Speaking of regulatory changes: BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker dove into crossover bev-alc guidance and the latest legislative moves impacting canned cocktails and convergence products, exploring highlights from McDermott Will & Emery’s midyear webinar. 

Ferron has you covered with two other spirits-focused stories from last week:

• Uncle Nearest Launches Mentorship Program to Support Bartenders and Cultivate Brand Advocacy
• Star Power? How Influencer and Celebrity Brands Are Faring In a Saturated Spirits Market

In data news, the cost of a pint has increased +13.2% at breweries in the three-year period ending December 2023, but price increases are not keeping pace with inflation, according to a report from BA staff economist Matt Gacioch, citing Arryved data. 

Gacioch’s report follows his and Watson’s exploration of the BA’s annual Harris Poll of consumers, which found that flavor is driving many of their purchasing decisions. At least 90% of poll respondents said flavor was very or somewhat important. 

In the on-premise, non-alc (NA) beer is outpacing total beer category growth, according to CGA, a on-premise arm of market research firm NIQ. Brewbound managing editor Jess Infante dove into CGA’s report, as well as the on-premise strategy of NA beer makers such as Athletic and Al’s. 

In the latest A Round With, a weekly Insider-exclusive feature for Brewbound Insiders, Short’s Brewing founder Joe Short and CEO Scott Newman-Bale discuss highlights from the Michigan brewery’s 20-year history, lessons learned along with way, and how Short’s is staying relevant with new consumers. 

Catch up on all these stories, as well as Saturday’s Week in Beer newsletter, on Brewbound.com.

It’s time to book your room for Brewbound Live! Our two-day event for beer and beverage-alcohol professionals heads to Marina del Rey, California, on December 11 + 12. Register now to stay just steps from the action and save on your stay at the Marina del Rey Marriott Hotel (4100 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA).

The Brewbound Live room block always sells out, so we encourage you to register today to secure your place among brewers, retailers, investors, distributors, beer leaders, and industry partners. Once registered, you will receive an email with the link to the discounted room block. Plus, right now you can take advantage of early registration pricing and save $100 per registration. Plan ahead to save and take advantage of both the room block and early registration discounts.

Attendees can look forward to expert presentations from brewery leaders, retailers, beverage-alcohol suppliers, wholesalers, and data providers, business conversations during scheduled networking breaks, the Brewbound Live Pitch Slam, samples of the latest innovations in the industry and the Brewbound Live Official Party, all set against the backdrop of sunny Southern California.

Register for Brewbound Live Winter 2024.