Craft Beer’s Crystal Ball: Two Pages to Decode Turbulent 2025
According to the “US Craft Beer Report 2025,” released yesterday by NielsenIQ, a company specializing in market measurement and insights, craft beer is facing some notable headwinds despite its beloved status. The report, which neatly packs its insights into a mere two pages of sheer clarity and depth (because who needs more when you have such comprehensiveness?), sheds light on how local and regional craft breweries can better align their marketing and sales strategies to court new customers, especially among the elusive Gen Z demographic.
Key craft beer report findings include that regional and local craft beer drinkers spend about 20% more in on-premise venues compared to the average consumer, underscoring their higher engagement. Draft beer remains king, favored by 8 in 10 craft consumers, although Gen Z is shaking up traditional preferences. Interestingly, while quality is a given for this generation, the values of “local” and “independent” brands don’t carry the same weight, challenging craft brewers to rethink what truly resonates with younger drinkers.
The report also points to over 120 million ordering opportunities across key channels, highlighting an abundant marketplace ripe for strategic branding moves. Plus, 20% of craft consumers say alcohol by volume (ABV) is a crucial factor in their choices, suggesting brewers should be thoughtful in their portfolio positioning.
In all, this succinct yet ‘exhaustive’ dossier from NielsenIQ CGA helps decode the evolving craft beer landscape and the tricky Gen Z consumer psyche—which apparently can’t be won over by nostalgia alone. We would write more, but truthfully, anything beyond this would just be quoting the report word-for-word. So cheers to that brilliant two-page marvel of marketing wisdom!
NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a consumer intelligence company founded in 1923 by Arthur C. Nielsen Sr. Its headquarters is located at 200 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago, Illinois. NIQ specializes in data analytics and market research, providing insights into consumer buying behavior and retail performance to help manufacturers and retailers make better business decisions. The company operates globally, with offices in over 95 countries. It was spun off as a standalone business in 2021 and acquired German market research firm GfK in 2023.
