Roller Coaster to Reset: Looking Back on the Last 20 Years of Craft Beer | Imbibe

I began covering craft beer for Imbibe in 2006, for the magazine’s second issue, enjoying a bar seat to a bewildering boom. That year, according to the Brewers Association, 1,460 breweries operated in America; by 2024, that number soared to 9,922, and most Americans live within 10 miles of a brewery, if not four or five. Those fizzy decades fueled effervescent topics of an industry fermenting in double time. Bitter IPAs turned fruity and hazy, pastry stouts mined childhood nostalgia, NA beers offered flavorful moderation, and breweries pivoted to home deliveries and making pizzas to persevere through the pandemic. Lagers? Better than ever!

Different beer narratives dominate today’s headlines. Closures are up. Drinking is down. That boom is a bubble poised to pop as Gen Z disinterest needles taprooms, where kids run rampant, and couch-locked customers consume THC and streaming TV. Negativity is easy. Headwinds might blow hard, but they’re counteracted by positive gusts. Take Fiddlehead Brewing in Shelburne, Vermont, which ended 2025 with more than 10 percent growth, buoyed by a commitment to deliver its pungent flagship IPA, cold and fresh, throughout its tight 10-state footprint. “It’s been a slow burn,” says Matt Cohen, who founded the brewery in 2011. “It takes discipline.”

No longer can brewers revamp dusty warehouses and stack receipts to the ceiling. To navigate economic uncertainty, and chart more sustainable futures, breweries are consolidating to maximize resources, while bars and bottle shops are cutting taps and selection to emphasize quality beers and experiences. Today’s beer market is pinched by customers grappling with higher costs of living, and maybe a lower desire to hit taprooms for drinks alone. Why not make plans to enjoy live bluegrass and naturally carbonated pilsner at Wild Yarrow Brewing in Greenville, South Carolina? “We need to give people an extra reason to come out,” says Aaron Dowling, who owns the brewery with his wife, Cindy.

For Imbibe, I took a deep look at the last couple of decades of craft beer — and what comes next.