Regional craft breweries and independents are investing in automation and plant upgrades to increase production, upgrade maintenance and move toward bigger volumes.
The number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2023, reaching an all-time high of 9,761, and many of these brands are getting bigger. In late 2023, Tilray Brands, a small cannabis and craft beer company, announced it would acquire eight breweries from global beer producer Anheuser-Busch InBev.
While Tilray Brands may be an outlier, regional craft beer brands and microbreweries must respond to new product introductions like seltzers, no-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks. Regional craft breweries have been investing capital in equipment, software and digital automation technologies to increase production volume, deliver more efficient maintenance and meet modern sanitary demands.