4K. That is an amazing figure. Probably by the time that I finish typing this sentence, there will be more breweries in the United States than ever before. OK, that is hyperbole for sure but not by much. If the current trends bear out, there literally will be more breweries than at any time in our country’s history. Granted, we will never know for sure if 4,131 was the high water mark (Back in 1873!)
Now, each time an all-time high is reached the chorus of doomsayers start singing the dirge of over saturation, remember that craft is still not threatening the Industrial Beer Complex. They are running scared for sure and grasping at straws but there is still plenty of beer consumers that can be converted to craft. In addition and here I am cribbing from the Brewers Associations chief economist, Bart Watson, if there were 4,131 breweries in 1873 the per capita equivalent for 2015 would be 30,000 breweries. That is a huge number that would be over saturation.
I think the one-two punch of market share available to steal and the fact that per capita we could handle more leads to a more promising future than others think.