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 19.2oz Stovepipe

Why high-ABV stovepipes make sense in today’s economy
Gen Z drinking myths vs. what the data actually shows

Surviving Dry January

Why January is always the toughest month for breweries
Programming, community, and creativity as survival tools
Why breweries need to offer more than “just beer” in winter

Reasons for Optimism

Craft beer’s role as a social connector
Why community still wins — even in uncertain times
Why beer isn’t a fad, and never has been

🍻 Beers Featured on the Show Beer In Front (NA Edition)

NA Ninja vs. Unicorn – Pipeworks Brewing Company
A standout non-alcoholic double IPA with real body, foam, and bitterness — proof that NA beer keeps getting better.

Additional Beer Review

Turbo Reaper IPA – Three Floyds Brewing
A West Coast-leaning IPA with bold can art, solid hop character, and easy availability (yes, even at Target).

📰 Beer & Beverage News Highlights

Dos Equis brings back The Most Interesting Man in the World
Goose Island announces a new barrel-aged stout
Ska Brewing enters the low-dose THC beverage space
Dogfish Head collaborates with Survivor on a new IPA
American Airlines adds Athletic Brewing NA beer to flights
Sierra Nevada doubles down on sustainability
Alarmist Brewing announces closure — a tough loss for Chicago beer

Brewers Association

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Beer Media Group

287 The Business Of Beer