The craft beer market continued to decline last year, with a 5.1% decrease in production and a 2.9% contraction in U.S. breweries. In North Carolina, beer sales decreased by 9.7% overall between 2021 and 2025, and more breweries began closing in 2024 than opening. Last year, 21 breweries closed their doors in the state, including those from Duck-Rabbit to Vicious Fishes. The total number of craft breweries in the U.