2025 Annual Report

Welcome

The Brewers Association (BA) is your association, and as such, we believe in being transparent in how we go to work for you. This report is your accounting of how we deployed resources on behalf of small and independent brewers in 2025, breaking down our work across four key areas: education, government affairs, events, and operations.

You’ll see what we published, where we advocated, how our conferences performed, and how we managed our finances. More importantly, you’ll see how those activities translated into tangible value for your membership.

This report represents real impact. Each educational resource published means another brewery has access to technical knowledge. Every government affairs win protects your ability to operate and compete. Each successful event creates opportunities for you to learn, network, and build relationships that strengthen your business.

What you’ll find here is a detailed look at how your membership investment was used to support you and the craft brewing community. As the industry continues to evolve, our job is to evolve alongside it—providing the resources, advocacy, and connections that help you navigate what’s next. We hope you like what we see and welcome your feedback on what we should be doing next to support your business.

— Bart Watson, President & CEO

Protecting & Promoting Breweries

Government Affairs

Amid ongoing uncertainty for the brewing sector, the BA Government Affairs team continues to play a critical role in advancing policies that support small and independent brewers. Through sustained engagement with policymakers and close coordination with partners across the craft beverage alcohol community, the team works to protect and strengthen the industry’s long-term vitality.

Relationship-building remains central to this work. BA staff and members deepen connections with congressional allies, expand coalitions, and educate lawmakers and their staff on the unique contributions and needs of America’s small breweries.

In July, 85 brewery representatives, state guild leaders, and allied partners joined BA staff in Washington, D.C., for the annual Hill Climb, engaging 186 lawmakers on priorities including TTB appropriations, hops and barley research, supply chain challenges, the Credit Card Competition Act, and other key policy issues. The sections below highlight our efforts on the issues most important to small and independent brewers.

Brews to Barns

Inspired by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the BA Government Affairs team launched “Brews to Barns,” an initiative to create an excise tax credit based on donated spent grain used for agricultural purposes. The proposal would return meaningful value to small breweries while supporting farms. Federal legislation is expected in early 2026, alongside efforts to advance similar state-level tax credits.

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

The BA responded to significant regulatory activity in 2025, including proposals on nutrition and allergen labeling for alcohol beverages, by submitting extensive comments to limit potential impacts on small brewers. The year also brought positive progress, with TTB approving BA requests to exempt additional beer ingredients from formula pre-approval. The BA continues to work closely with TTB leadership to modernize and streamline regulations.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The BA closely tracked revisions to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and welcomed Congress’s directive that alcohol guidance rely on the National Academies’ NASEM study. Released in early 2026, the updated Guidelines reflect a balanced, science-based approach emphasizing moderation for those who choose to drink.

Other Federal Agencies

Beyond TTB, the BA engaged in several key federal rulemakings in 2025, including comments to the Copyright Office on music licensing reform, testimony and written comments on proposed OSHA workplace safety rules, and opposition to FDA “front-of-package” labeling requirements that could apply to certain alcohol beverages. None of these proposals have been finalized.

Opposing State Beer Excise Tax Increases

Facing tight state budgets in 2025, legislatures again targeted beer excise taxes as a revenue source. The BA successfully opposed proposed increases in Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon and remains vigilant as additional states consider similar measures in 2026.

Self-Distribution

The BA continues to support policies allowing small brewers to self-distribute, giving them flexibility to build markets before entering long-term wholesaler agreements. While efforts stalled in Georgia and Nevada in 2025, the BA remains committed to advancing self-distribution opportunities in states nationwide.

Franchise Reform

Outdated beer franchise laws increasingly disadvantage small brewers by protecting consolidated wholesalers rather than addressing today’s market realities. While no franchise reform legislation passed in 2025, the BA anticipates renewed opportunities in 2026 to educate lawmakers and advance reforms that better reflect the modern beer marketplace.

Solid Waste Recycling Legislation

States continue to pursue solid waste and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, with Colorado beginning implementation in 2026. The BA supports responsible recycling initiatives and works with state guilds to ensure that new requirements account for the operational realities of small and independent brewers.

Supporting Business Health

Member Resources & Education

In 2025, the BA provided essential technical resources to support members in safety, sustainability, and quality. These efforts helped breweries strengthen operations, reduce environmental impact, and uphold high standards in craft beer production, while ongoing supply chain monitoring supported continued access to critical ingredients and materials.

Promoting Public Hop Development

In 2025, the BA reaffirmed its commitment to public hop development, supporting access to IP-free, disease-resistant hop varieties through continued funding of the USDA hop breeding program. This work benefits growers and brewers alike by delivering high-quality cultivars without proprietary restrictions.

The BA’s 8th annual Hopsource event in Yakima brought brewers together to conduct more than 1,000 sensory evaluations, ensuring brewer feedback remains central to hop selection. That collaboration culminated in the release of Vera, which ranked first among more than 30 public experimental hop lines in prior Hopsource evaluations. Named in honor of USDA mycologist Vera Katherine Charles, Vera is a high-yielding, disease-resistant, publicly developed variety shaped by brewer input. To mark this milestone, the BA featured Vera in a special one-time category at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival.

The New Brewer®

The Brewers Association’s flagship magazine, The New Brewer, published six issues in 2025, delivering in-depth technical content, industry analysis, and practical guidance for craft brewing professionals. Topics throughout the year spanned raw materials, technical brewing, sales and marketing, operations, sustainability, and industry performance, providing brewers with timely insights into both production and business challenges.

Stats & Data

In 2025, the BA delivered timely industry data and analysis to help members navigate challenges and identify opportunities, leveraging insights from thousands of craft breweries to inform decisions on production, costs, pricing, and workforce planning.

The most-read Insights & Analysis posts for 2025:

Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®

The 2025 Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America (CBC®) was held April 28–May 1 in Indianapolis, marking the city’s first time hosting the event. Nearly 8,000 attendees from more than 61 countries gathered for North America’s largest beverage alcohol industry conference.

The event delivered education and networking through 12 specialized tracks spanning the brewing journey from grain to glass. Keynotes from Trillium Brewing Company’s JC and Esther Tetreault and industry insights from BA President and CEO Bart Watson highlighted strategies for navigating a changing market, including the benefits of product diversification. BrewExpo America featured more than 550 exhibitors connecting brewers with key suppliers.

More than 40 offsite events fostered connection and collaboration, reinforcing the conference’s role as a cornerstone for education, innovation, and community in the craft brewing industry.

Promoting Independent Craft Brewers

Great American Beer Festival®

The Great American Beer Festival (GABF®) competition remains the nation’s most prestigious beer competition, providing craft brewers and cidermakers a vital platform for national recognition.

The 2025 competition continued to evolve alongside the industry, welcoming 180 first-time entrants, expanding to six cider categories, and adding three new beer categories: Vera Hop, Mexican-Style Pale Lager, and International Amber Lager. With 347 medal winners, the competition once again highlighted the depth, creativity, and excellence of American brewing and cidermaking.

By the numbers:

39th edition of the GABF competition
8,315 beers judged
1,555 breweries & cideries in the competition from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.
250 judges
300 + volunteers
Average number of beers entered in each category: 71
Category with the highest number of entries: Category # 107- Juicy/Hazy India Pale Ale (301 entries)
347 total medals awarded
273 medal-winning breweries and cideries
180 first-time GABF competition entrants
12 first-time GABF competition winners
6 cider categories
3 new categories: Vera Hop, Mexican-Style Pale Lager, International Amber Lager

The 2025 Great American Beer Festival expanded the nation’s premier craft beverage celebration, welcoming distilleries for the first time in its 47-year history and featuring more than 2,000 beverages. With over 450 producers from 47 states—including 80 first-time participants—the festival fostered meaningful connections between craft producers and fans and generated $16 million in economic impact for Denver.

World Beer Cup®

Since 1996, the World Beer Cup has celebrated brewing excellence on a global stage. In 2025, judges from 37 countries evaluated nearly 2,000 entries from breweries and cideries across 49 nations during 14 sessions over seven days. At the awards ceremony in Indianapolis, 349 awards were presented across 116 beer and cider categories, recognizing the highest levels of quality, innovation, and craftsmanship worldwide.

By the numbers:

16th competition (skipped 2020; annualized starting 2022) 
Entries: 8,375
Breweries & cideries: 1,761
Countries: 49
First-time brewery entries: 317
Judges: 265
International judges: 132 from 37 countries
Judge countries: 37
Judging sessions and days: 7 days, 14 sessions
Beer style categories (including subcategories): 112
Cider categories: 5
Avg number of beers in each category: 73

American Craft Beer Week®

In May, American Craft Beer Week (ACBW®) united communities in all 50 states to celebrate small and independent breweries under the theme “The Official Start of Beer Season,” driving traffic to taprooms and strengthening local connections.

The BA supported members with a turnkey marketing toolkit to promote events and engagement. As industry challenges persist, ACBW remains a vital platform for encouraging consumers to support local breweries and the communities they sustain. The celebration returns in 2026 for its 20th year.

CraftBeer.com

CraftBeer.com is the Brewers Association’s consumer-facing platform, connecting beer enthusiasts with independent craft breweries through engaging content, education, and interactive tools. By amplifying member stories and celebrating beer culture, the site builds consumer appreciation and supports the BA’s mission to promote and protect small and independent brewers.

CraftBeer.com articles published in 2025:

Growing American Craft Globally

Export Development Program Brewers Association

In a year of global trade uncertainty, the BA’s Export Development Program delivered its strongest market development results to date, helping small and independent brewers compete internationally and maintain global visibility.

The EDP supported brewery participation in major trade shows, festivals, and competitions worldwide; led more than 10 international trade missions; and hosted 34 buyers from 19 countries at CBC and GABF. These efforts strengthened distribution pathways and drove commercial growth.

The program also expanded into high-potential markets, launching coordinated initiatives in Southeast Asia and beginning early development in the Caribbean. Through education, market activation, and quality recognition, the EDP continued to position American craft beer as a premium global offering.

Learn more about EDP activities in 2025.

Milestones

Bart Watson Appointed BA President and CEO

Following a national search, the Brewers Association Board of Directors appointed longtime BA executive Bart Watson as president and CEO. With more than a decade of experience at the BA, Watson brings deep industry knowledge and a strategic focus on helping members navigate ongoing challenges and restore momentum to the craft category.

American Homebrewers Association Moves Toward Independence

In early 2025, the American Homebrewers Association® filed for incorporation as an independent 501(c) organization, marking a new chapter for the group founded in 1978. Formerly a division of the BA since 1983, the transition positions the AHA to better serve members and grow the homebrewing community.

Industry Award Winners

Brewers Association Recognition Award Winners

At the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference, the BA honored individuals and organizations whose contributions strengthened the craft beer community:

Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing
Ron Jeffries (in memoriam), Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Brewers Association Recognition Award
The NC Beer Community

F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award
Ted Zeller, Norris-McLaughlin, and the Brewers of Pennsylvania

Brewers Association Mentor of the Year Award
Shawn Mullen, Stone Brewing Company

Financials

REVENUE	2025 Actual	2024 Actual
Adver & Spons Revenue	2,669,492	2,916,588
Book/Merch Sales	278,302	502,238
Professional Membership Revenue	2,810,565	3,043,726
Homebrewer Membership Revenue	426,636	975,231
Event Revenue	10,000,413	12,327,560
All Other Revenue	642,774	1,207,133
Total Revenue	$16,828,182	$20,972,476

EXPENSE ITEMS	2025 Actual	2024 Actual
Gen Office/Admin Exp	579,933	651,818
Deprec & Amort	288,101	297,591
Salaries & Benefits	7,169,707	8,888,935
Insurance Exp	179,459	213,218
Legal Fees	21,902	56,763
Rent Expense	577,451	617,716
Event Operations	4,576,219	5,626,041
Marketing	490,210	463,932
Printing	238,214	323,391
Postage & Shipping	531,553	718,161
Cost Of Goods Sold	55,221	127,476
Travel	1,180,513	1,291,611
Outside Services	2,499,101	2,692,710
Donations/Grants	20,855	66,138
All Other Expenses	489,704	1,102,913
Total Expenses	$18,898,143	$23,138,414

OPERATIONAL NET:

($2,069,961)

($2,165,938)

Assets	12/31/25	12/31/24
Cash	2,572,522	5,259,384
Reserves	25,888,776	24,155,323
Accounts Rec.	701,184	1,133,926
Inventory	138,151	165,198
Prepaid Expenses/Other	839,799	787,573
Total Current Assets	30,140,432	31,501,404
Long-Term Assets	666,610	527,089
Fixed Assets	4,385,312	4,385,312
Total Assets	$35,192,354	$36,698,156

Liabilities	12/31/25	12/31/24
Accounts Payable	325,946	279,599
Deferred Deposits	5,877,766	7,579,731
Other	726,532	1,445,713
Total Current Liabilities	6,930,244	9,305,043
Long-Term Liability	454,855	–
Retained Earnings	27,393,113	27,363,645
Current Yr. Earnings	414,142	29,468
Total Liabilities & Equity	$35,192,354	$36,698,156

About Us

A Passionate Voice for Craft Brewers

The Brewers Association is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization of brewers, for brewers, and by brewers. Our purpose is to promote and protect American craft brewers.

The Brewers Association Board of Directors has several standing committees that work with members and staff to focus on specific areas to achieve association goals and further our core values and beliefs.

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