In college football, one of the most recognized rally chants can be heard from fans of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide as they cheer “Roll Tide.” Coming off an upset loss on the road to the Texas A&M Aggies during week four, Alabama rebounded with a dominate 49-9 win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Despite uncertainty in the market, there’s an all-time high of 8,764 craft breweries, suggesting that, like the Crimson Tide, the craft brewing industry is poised to rebound from last year’s devastating global pandemic that saw beer volume, retail dollars and jobs drop precipitously.
“2020 was obviously a challenging year for many small brewers, but also one that proved their resilient and entrepreneurial nature,” said Bart Watson, chief economist of the Brewers Association (BA), in a statement. “In a year where U.S. draught sales were down more than 40%, small brewers found new ways to connect with their customers and keep their businesses running.”