U.S. brewers shipped 169,154,000 barrels of beer in 2021, a 0.1% decline (-233,691 barrels) compared to 2020, according to the Beer Institute (BI), citing domestic tax paid estimates from the Alcohol and Tobacco Trade Bureau.
December 2021 shipments declined -4%, to 13.9 million barrels, the BI shared.
2021 opened with six consecutive months of year-over-year shipment increases: January (+5.3%, 13.1 million barrels), February (+3.3%, 11.78 million), March (+0.9%, 14.77 million), April (+8%, 14.55 million), May (+7.8%, 14.9 million), and June (+0.1%, 16.39 million).
However, shipments declined in July (-6.6%, 14.47 million), August (-5.8%, 14.2 million), September (-8.9%, 14.4 million), and October (-0.3%, 13.6 million). Shipments rebounded in November (+2.8%, 13 million) before December’s declines.
The January 2022 domestic tax paid estimate is slated for release on February 22.