Your Brewery Isn't Failing — The Market Is Changing. Here's How to Adapt

The numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story either. Yes, beer volumes are down. Yes, craft is shrinking. But the story being told in boardrooms and brewery back offices skips a critical truth: this isn't collapse. It's correction.

In 2025, success won’t come from chasing every trend or trying to please everyone. It’ll come from seeing the shift for what it is — and acting accordingly.

The Landscape As It Exists — Not As We Wish It Were

If your taproom’s foot traffic feels lighter and the margins are tighter, you're not imagining things. SevenFifty Daily nailed it: “slumping sales, closures, consolidations, competition from cannabis and ready-to-drink cocktails, and an existential crisis surrounding alcohol.”

Here’s what the numbers say:

• Traditional beer volumes down 3.2%
• Craft beer projected to decline again in 2025
• Dollar sales for beer down 1% overall

But now read between the lines:

• Non-alcoholic beer is up 21.6% in volume
• 20% of consumers are seeking higher-quality food and drink
• 75% dined out in January 2025, and half hit bars specifically for drinks

Translation: Demand hasn’t disappeared — it’s just moved.

What Most Breweries Get Wrong About This Shift

They treat it like a marketing problem. It isn’t. They treat it like a demand crisis. It’s not. They assume the answer is to “innovate.” But most of the time, it’s to focus.

The truth is, many breweries have spent the last five years saying yes to everything and everyone. New styles. New SKUs. New trends. But in the race to stay relevant, they lost clarity.

You can’t out-gimmick a market that’s asking better questions.

Six Moves That Still Work

1. Return to Clarity and Purpose

“Focus will be the word of the year,” said Rob Day of Better Crafted Business. Not as a soundbite — as a strategy.

Ask yourself:

• Which beers actually move volume and build loyalty?
• What do we do better than anyone else?
• What’s the story worth telling again and again?

Devils Backbone went back to Vienna Lager. Not flashy, but foundational. And it works.

2. Pay Attention to What People Actually Want

Health. Moderation. Value. None of these are new. But the volume of customers acting on them is.

That doesn’t mean abandoning beer. It means:

• NA options that still taste like you
• Sessionable styles that don’t sacrifice character
• Loyalty programs that don’t feel like clearance bins

Brian Hughes of 10 Barrel put it plainly: “We’re seeing a loyal craft audience start to reconsider their relationship to alcohol.” Don’t ignore that.

3. Make Your Taproom Irresistible

Not bigger. Not trendier. Just more you.

People want a reason to come — and stay. That might mean:

• A killer food program that complements, not competes
• Spaces that feel inviting for more than just hopheads
• Events that actually fit your community

You don’t need a Michelin star. But you do need a reason for someone to text a friend: “Let’s go here.”

4. Stop Guessing Where Your Customers Are

They’re online. But not all in the same place.

Some scroll TikTok. Some still open your email. Some order from your online store, others show up in person and bring five friends.

Don’t just post. Observe. Don’t just promote. Communicate.

And if you're not using email, text, and localized content with intent? You’re leaving awareness on the table.

5. Make Sustainability Tangible

Solar panels and buzzwords aren’t enough. Consumers — and distributors — want proof.

What are you doing with your water? Your grain? Your ingredients? Who do you source from?

You don’t need to make it your entire identity. But don’t let it be invisible either.

6. Partner Smarter, Not Louder

You don’t need fifteen collabs. You need the right ones:

• Local partners with overlapping audiences
• Events that tie to shared values
• Formats that make sense for your drinker (8oz? 19.2oz? On tap only?)

Skip the shotgun approach. Aim for resonance.

Four Types of Customers. Four Different Conversations.

The Health-Conscious Moderate Wants taste without the aftermath. Don’t preach — just offer options that don’t feel like compromises.

The Experience Seeker Wants a story to share. Give them moments worth photographing, and reasons to brag about finding you first.

The Beer Purist Wants to nerd out. Feed them info, not fluff. Talk malt. Talk fermentation. Talk craft.

The Value-Conscious Regular Wants consistency and a good deal. Deliver both, without apologizing for quality.

Final Pour

You don’t have to chase relevance. You have to earn it.

That doesn’t come from novelty. It comes from clarity, consistency, and connection.

The market isn’t killing breweries. Confusion is.

Those who adapt with intention — not panic — will keep their taps flowing.

Crafted by Plate Lunch Collective using insights from:

• SevenFifty Daily
• OhBEV
• Craft Brewing Business
• Hop Culture