U.S. craft breweries sold nearly 20% more beer per seat in 2025, survey finds

U.S. breweries that took part in the Brewers Association’s latest financial benchmarking survey relied a little less on beer for their revenue in 2025 than they did two years earlier, while selling close to 20% more beer per seat, according to a trade group review published Tuesday.

The Brewers Association, which represents independent craft brewers, said its latest Financial Benchmarking Survey drew on full-year 2025 results and compared them with the previous survey based on 2023 data. In a short analysis of the findings, staff economist Matt Gacioch said the results covered revenue by category, sales per seat, distribution trends, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, margins, debt-to-asset ratios, and accounts receivable and payable aging.

One of the main shifts in the comparison was the mix of revenue. Beer accounted for a smaller share of sales than it had in 2023, while food and other beverages made up a larger portion for the breweries and brewpubs that responded. Even so, Gacioch wrote that beer’s share “didn’t drop further,” signaling that the core product continued to hold up better than some operators may have expected.

The survey also pointed to stronger productivity from on-premise space. Beer volume sold per seat rose by nearly 20% among the surveyed businesses, according to the Brewers Association’s reported results. Gacioch said a smaller footprint had not led to a matching decline in beer sales, suggesting that some breweries were moving more volume through fewer seats or using their space more efficiently than they did in the earlier survey period.

That matters beyond beer because many beverage businesses are trying to protect margins in a slower and more competitive market. For breweries, taprooms, and other drink-led venues, higher sales per seat can influence decisions on layout, staffing, and how much space to dedicate to service. The shift in revenue mix may also push operators to keep expanding food programs or other beverage offerings to reduce dependence on beer alone.

The Brewers Association’s review also flagged lower relative spending in customer-facing areas. Gacioch said he was watching “the relative drops in customer-facing expenditures” on both the taproom or brewpub side and the sales side. The quick take did not break out detailed figures in the public summary, but the comment points to a period in which breweries were scrutinizing expenses tied directly to hospitality and selling activity.

That cost focus is important for a sector dealing with uneven demand and rising pressure on profitability. Benchmarks on operating expenses, cost of goods sold, and margins can give owners a way to compare their own performance with peers when deciding whether to add seats, change service models, adjust menus, or look for more revenue from drinks beyond beer. For wholesalers, suppliers, and other parts of the beverage business, the data can also offer clues about how brewery customers are adapting their mix of products and spending.

The Brewers Association did not release a full public data table in the short article, and the trade group did not provide a sample size in the text of the quick take. It described the survey as a biennial effort to understand the financial realities of running a brewery. The association said it shared the full results with members in late summer.

The survey’s scope goes beyond sales trends. The association said the full benchmarking package includes measures of leverage and cash management, including debt-to-asset ratios and the aging of receivables and payables. Those indicators can be important in an industry where small producers often balance taproom operations, self-distribution or wholesale accounts, and investment in equipment and real estate.

Tuesday’s write-up was presented as a high-level look at the numbers rather than a full report. Even with limited public detail, the message was clear: breweries in the survey entered 2025 with a broader revenue base than in 2023, were getting more beer sales out of each seat, and were paying close attention to the costs of serving customers and supporting sales. The Brewers Association said it conducts the benchmarking survey every two years to help members measure those shifts against the rest of the market.