Craft brewers contributed $79.1 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, according to a report published by the Brewers Association on Wednesday. The economic contribution equates to roughly 0.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and signals a 4-percent increase from 2017.
According to a press release from the not-for-profit trade association, “the calculation is derived from the total impact of beer brewed by craft brewers as it moves through the three-tier system (breweries, wholesalers, and retailers), as well as all non-beer products such as food and merchandise sold in brewpub restaurants and brewery taprooms.”
Meanwhile, small and independent brewers also provided a total of 559,545 jobs, with 150,055 of them directly at breweries.
“With small breweries in every state and nearly every congressional district in the country, craft brewers are a vital and growing part of the economy in cities and towns all across the country,” Bart Watson, chief economist of the Brewers Association, said. “Beer lovers are spending their dollars by supporting small and independent brewers in their local communities and across the country, and its positive impact is evident nationwide.”
Additional info, including state-by-state analysis, can found in the original 2018 Economic Impact Report.
