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Brewers Association's annual consumer survey conducted with Harris Poll is in, and findings show "mixed signals" for craft beer, BA chief economist Matt Gacioch headlined in latest post. Lookin' at findings thru the lens of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, Matt found some of the strongest results in 5+ yrs among regular craft drinkers, those that drink craft at least monthly. Most notably, monthly craft consumption among craft drinkers reached 85%, "the highest it has been since 2019-2020, and up +10 percentage points (pp) from a year earlier," he highlighted. There's also an increase in craft drinkers that say they're drinking more craft beer than they were last year, up 5 pts to 28%, which "halts a four-year slide." For both metrics, "gains are driven by male consumers and 21-44 year-old consumers," Matt wrote. On-site measures also improved as craft drinkers reported visiting craft breweries 5.5 times on avg over the past 12 mos vs just 5.1 visits year ago. And there's "a positive signal in variety" as 50% of craft drinkers say they purchase 3 or more craft beer brands per mo, up from 45% yr ago and "the highest" percentage for that metric since 2016 (53%). That hasn't helped craft beer volume so far this year, which continues to decline and lose share in tracked channels. Perhaps because there's a lower % of general population that says they drink craft beer monthly, led by Gen Z population, survey found; 55% of drinkers say they drink craft vs 58% in 2024-2025. (Virtually every alc bev category ticked down vs yr ago except for RTD canned cocktails in this survey.) But Matt focused on Gen Z data that "sharpens" this point for craft, since 21-34 yr old respondents "were more likely to say they don't drink more craft beer" because: 1) "their drinking companions do not drink craft beer"; 2) "craft is not available where they shop"; 3) "they are avoiding certain ingredients like gluten" and; 4) "they are cutting back on overall calorie consumption." They're more than 2x more likely than total population to say they don't drink craft because their friends don't, or it's not available where they shop.Young LDA consumers still drink craft beer more than any cohort: 45% of 21-34 yr olds said they drink craft at least several times per mo vs 41% of 35-44 yr-olds, 21% of 45-54 yr-olds, 22% of 55-64 cohort and just 10% for those 65 or older. But a much higher percentage of 21-34 yr olds say they're drinking less craft than a year ago compared to pre-Covid levels; 28% this yr vs just 16% in 2019. Attracting more young LDA drinkers to the craft aisle remains both an oppy and one of craft's biggest threats, Matt flagged, as cos gotta find new ways to reach 'em amid a "more polarized beverage market." Craft also has an oppy to further attract consumers increasingly seeking both higher ABV and low-to-no ABV products. Certain occasions stood out to Matt as oppys for craft beer to lean into, as craft beer was tied with wine as the top alc bev choice when eating out, and was the top choice for "drinking at a friend's house" ahead of domestic non-craft. Yet there are "pressures" on other key occasions where "craft has fallen behind," like "outdoor" and "special occasions such as birthdays and weddings." All told, Matt's "biggest signal&hellip;is that craft has to work harder to earn the same occasions, dollars, and attention it used to receive more easily," Matt concluded.

"Mixed Signals": Craft Drinkers are Drinking More Craft but General Population Drinks Less Craft, BA's Harris Poll Survey Found

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