Craft brands grow in off-premise as local brews outperform nationals

Goose Island Beer Co., Wicked Weed Brewing and Elysian Brewing are showing that craft’s off-premise winners are not the brands disappearing into a shrinking shelf set. They were three of the five fastest-growing craft breweries in 2025, and Anheuser-Busch said its craft beer portfolio turned in its best year in nearly a decade. By early 2026, the company said its craft scale brands were up 11.9% year-to-date.

That growth matters because it is happening in a market where shelf space is tighter and many brands are fighting for fewer facings. Bump Williams Consulting’s latest monthly update showed nearly four out of every 10 craft brands grew in the off-premise through mid-April 2026, a sign that the category is still producing clear winners even as SKU reductions continue to squeeze weaker performers. Regional and local brands remain especially resilient, helped by enduring hometown pull and stronger relevance with retailers looking for proven turns.

The broader craft picture is still mixed. The Brewers Association said U.S. craft production fell 5% in 2025 to 21,859,000 barrels, while 39% of breweries reported growth and 60% reported declines. Craft’s volume share in the U.S. beer market edged up from 13.2% to 13.3%, but retail dollar sales fell 3.6% to $27.8 billion. The operating base also kept contracting, with the number of active U.S. craft breweries sliding to 9,578, new openings dropping to 300 from 518 in 2024, and closures easing to 481 from 591.

The split market was visible a year earlier too. In 2024, craft brewer volume sales declined 4%, but retail dollar sales rose 3% to $28.8 billion, showing how price increases and on-site sales helped cushion the category even as volume softened. By 2025, that cushion was thinner, and the brands that kept growing were the ones that could still command attention at retail, not just at the taproom.

For brewery-watchers and homebrewers, the takeaway is practical: the brands winning in off-premise are the ones with recognizable identities, durable local appeal, and enough distribution muscle to stay visible as shelf rationalization accelerates. The craft market is still correcting, but Goose Island, Wicked Weed, Elysian and a long list of regional players show that growth pockets are alive where retailers still see movement, and where drinkers still reach for names they know.