MONEY: America Now Has a Record-High 5,000 Breweries and Counting

America has never had such a large beer selection as it does right now. According to a recent MONEY article, the Brewers Association reported that there are over 5,000 breweries in the U.S, which is a record-high.

In the 1980s, there were fewer than 100 breweries in operation throughout the country due to mass-market companies dominating the industry. Consumer tastes began to change and prefer craft beer, which quickly inflated the brewing scene. By 2008, the U.S. had 1,500 breweries and by 2015 there were 3,500, a quick increase.

Despite the quick climb, growth in the craft beer industry has started to decrease and this has prompted many to wonder if it has reached its highest point—Peak beer. While this is a concern, it isn’t the first time people have started to discuss overcrowding in the industry.

“While the craft brewing industry is entering a period of maturation, most markets are not near saturation,” Bart Watson, the Brewers Association’s chief economist, said this past summer. “As craft’s base gets larger, as with any industry, it becomes more difficult for it to grow at the same percentage rate.”

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