Episode
287 The Business Of Beer
- Podcast
- Beer In Front
- Published
- Jan 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2627
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Data, Dollars, and the Business of Beer (feat. Matt Gacioch, Brewers Association) Host: Dave Zalatoris Network: Beer Media Group Craft beer isn’t just passion projects and taproom vibes — it’s big business. On Episode 287 of Beer In Front, Dave digs into the numbers, trends, and realities shaping today’s beer industry with Matt Gacioch, staff economist at the Brewers Association. From rising costs and tighter margins to non-alcoholic growth and why January is brutal for breweries, this episode takes a clear-eyed look at where craft beer stands in 2026 — and where it’s headed. What You’ll Hear in This Episode The State of Craft Beer in 2026 Why craft beer has shifted from “If you build it, they will come” to a Moneyball-style, data-driven industry What a “maturing market” actually means for breweries Why neighborhood taprooms and hospitality matter more than ever Costs, Tariffs, and Tight Margins How aluminum, equipment tariffs, and inflation are squeezing breweries Why many breweries can’t raise prices without losing customers The looming impact of 10-year lease renewals from the 2010s boom Closures vs. Openings: Context Matters Why more closures than openings sounds scarier than it really is The difference between individual brewery pain and industry-wide health Why shuttered brewery spaces are staying empty longer What Business Models Are Working Why hyper-local, hospitality-focused breweries are holding up better How large regional craft breweries benefit from economies of scale Why distribution is harder — but not impossible — for new entrants Non-Alcoholic & Low-ABV Beer Growth Why NA beer still has major runway The importance of occasion-based drinking How local breweries making NA versions of flagship beers could push the category forward The Rise of the 19.…