Why are so many craft breweries closing?

The craft beer industry is facing a crisis. Once a booming business with thousands of new breweries popping up every year, craft beer is now seeing more closures than openings. High-profile breweries are filing for bankruptcy, selling for pennies on the dollar, and struggling to survive. But why? ------------------------------------------------------------------ ► Join 40,000+ business minds who read my newsletter: http://bit.ly/SmallBusinessMBA ► Deep dives on businesses for sale: https://www.youtube.com/@AcquisitionsAnonymousPodcast ► Follow me on Twitter/X: https://x.com/girdley ------------------------------------------------------------------ In this video, we break down: ✅ The rise and fall of the craft beer industry ✅ How cheap capital and millennial demand fueled a decade-long boom ✅ Why COVID permanently changed consumer behavior ✅ The massive inflation squeezing breweries dry ✅ Why Gen Z just doesn’t care about craft beer Despite the industry remaining relatively stable in volume, small breweries are collapsing. The business model just doesn’t work like it used to. This video dives deep into the economics behind the craft brew downturn, the shifting consumer trends, and what this means for entrepreneurs in any industry. Sources: We Need to Finally Talk About Craft Beer Prices – Beer Advocate https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/we-need-to-finally-talk-about-craft-beer-prices.675750/ The Unprecedented Impact of COVID-19 on the Craft Beer Industry – American Craft Beer https://www.americancraftbeer.com/the-unprecedented-impact-of-covid-19-on-the-craft-beer-industry/ History of Craft Beer – Guild Somm https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/articles/b/jeff-siegel/posts/history-of-craft-beer Major SA Brewery Files for Bankruptcy – San Antonio Business Journal https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2025/02/04/major-sa-brewery-files-for-bankruptcy.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=ae&utm_content=AN&j=38487662&senddate=2025-02-05&empos=p2 Craft Beer Industry Trends on TikTok – TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2MpBW3C/ After an Explosive Decade, Craft Beer Growth Slows as Industry Matures – Star Tribune https://www.startribune.com/after-an-explosive-decade-craft-beer-growth-slows-as-industry-matures/600170184 The Craft Beer Boom and Its Economic Impact – The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/01/craft-beer-industry/550850/ Hazy IPA Craft Beer Prices – Craft Beer Club https://craftbeerclub.com/products/other-half-brewing-hazy-ipa-craft-beer-box?variant=49748037468477