USA, WA: Washington beer production drops 7.7% in 2017

Washington breweries produced less beer in 2017 than they did in 2016, marking the first time in seven years that the state’s beer production has decreased. A report from JJL shows that from 2016 to 2017 beer production slipped by 44,895 barrels, a 7.7 percent loss, washingtonbeerblog.com reported on February 8.

This does not mean the sky is falling or that the mythical Washington beer bubble has burst. There is a logical explanation. Still, the fact that beer production in Washington decreased is noteworthy.

The JJL report points out that regardless of this decline in production, the Washington beer industry is still quite healthy. The bulk of the decrease is isolated among a few regional brands. Most notably, Redhook Brewing and Elysian Brewing.

It’s no surprise to hear that Redhook’s numbers were way down: they stopped brewing in Woodinville halfway through the year. Redhook decreased production by 61,553 barrels after decommissioning and selling their production facility in Woodinville, moving production the CBA facility in Portland.

It’s more interesting to hear that Elysian Brewing’s numbers were down. Last year, production dropped by 24,093 barrels. Most beer enthusiasts around Washington will probably find that surprising.

According to the report, Washington State appears to be bucking the trend of consolidation, with regional producers like Redhook and Elysian decreasing production, while 54 new licensed breweries produced beer in 2017.

07 February, 2018