Craft Beer Sales Growth Slows Down

Sales of craft beers in the U.S. rose 26 percent last year, the smallest increase the past decade.

The increase is half what the once-hot brewing niche registered the two preceding years, according to the Institute for Brewing Studies, a trade group.

Overall U.S. beer sales barely grew last year, and craft brewers say it’s a matter of time before that trend catches up with their specialty beers. The niche brewers comprised only 2.6 percent of U.S. beer sales.

In 1996, the number of craft brewers reached an all-time high of more than 1,300 nationwide, the institute said.