U.S. breweries continue to boom; Iowans still drink a lot of beer

NIT – In news of the obvious, breweries and beer drinking are booming in America, studies prove.

The number of U.S. breweries more than doubled — from 398 to 869 — between 2007 and 2012, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released recently from the 2012 Economic Census Industry Series. The breweries industry reported $28.3 billion in shipments in 2012, an increase of nearly 33.6 percent since 2007.

A study from Beer Marketer’s Insights shows that Iowa ranks 10th in beer consumption among U.S. states. That study says that the average Iowan guzzled 33.2 gallons of beer last year. (The same study said that more Iowans are turning to wine and spirits, and beer consumption is down from about 36 gallons in 2009.) A Vox study released in May said that Busch Light is “inexplicably popular in Iowa in particular”.

In North Iowa, breweries are becoming more popular, with new drinkeries opening in recent months in Mason City, Osage and Clear Lake (and more are expected) in addition to the long-open Worth Brewing Company in Northwood.

Employment in the breweries industry also climbed over the five-year span — rising to 26,077 employees in 2012, up by 3,825 or 17.2 percent, from 22,252 in 2007. While overall employment grew, the average number of employees per establishment was nearly halved, from 56 in 2007 to 30 in 2012.

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