U.S. Craft Production up 5% at Halfyear; 8,000+ Brewers Soon?

Dear Client:American craft beer production was up 5% during the first half of 2017, the Brewers Association just reported.5,562 BREWERIES! As of June 30, there were 5,562 operating breweries in the U.S., up 906 from the same time period last year. There are roughly 2,739 breweries in planning.The mid-single digit trend reflects a continued deceleration trend for craft production, even as its ranks swell: Last year, craft production volume had been up 8% at the midyear mark.BA economist Bart Watson