Closing Time: A Geographical Review of US Brewery Closures 2018-2023

Abstract

There are many publications focusing on the growth of the craft beer sector in the US. There are, however, far fewer studies looking at the geography underlying brewery closures. The number, location, and reasonings for these closures is limited. By scouring thousands of websites, we have collected data on the closures of beer breweries, brewpubs, and taproom from 2018-2023. Spatial patterns associated with these closures were aligned with socio-economic and demographic indicators at regional and national levels.