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(Columbus Skyline: Courtesy Andy Spessard / Experience Columbus)
In a year which saw craft beer production decline by 9% nationally, Ohio breweries maintained their collective position as one of the top craft beer manufacturing states according to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.
And in spite of an 11% decline in volume caused by COVID-19, Ohio moved up one position to fifth in overall craft beer production. Just imagine the kind of numbers the state might have seen if not for the pandemic’s arrival.
Thanks to COVID-19, the craft brewing industry experienced its first production volume decline on the national level in the modern craft beer era.
Government mandated closures of bars and restaurants caused draft beer sales to fall more than 40% in 2020, contributing to Ohio’s loss in production volume as well as a 22% drop in retail dollar value in the market.
“Breweries are still recovering from the disastrous effects of the ongoing pandemic,” said Mary MacDonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association . “We’re happy that Ohio is still ranked among the nationwide leaders in craft beer production, but our industry needs continued support both from consumers and from our elected officials in order to rebound.”
Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland, Rhinegeist Brewery in Cincinnati and BrewDog USA in Canal Winchester, Ohio all appeared on the Brewer Association’s list of top 50 craft breweries by sales volume for 2020. Those three breweries, plus the Samuel Adams production brewery in Cincinnati, produce just over two-thirds of Ohio’s craft beer by volume.
There are currently 366 craft breweries operating in Ohio. And 47 of them opened last year, despite the pandemic. 73 breweries are known to be in-planning and expected to open within the next few years.
Amazingly, despite the pandemic only 15 Ohio craft breweries closed last year.
Prior to the pandemic, Ohio breweries were responsible for more than 8,300 jobs before the pandemic and contributed just under $1 billion in impact to the state economy. The Ohio Craft Brewers Association has commissioned a study to measure 2020 economic impact at the state and regional level that will be published later this year.
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