Craft Spirits Sales See Second Year of Decline

Citing Continued Economic & Market Access Headwinds, Producers Report Volume & Value Losses

Washington, D.C. (October 21, 2025) – The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) and Park Street today presented highlights from the 2025 Craft Spirits Data Project (CSDP) at its Annual Craft Spirits Economic Briefing. Jordan Cotton (President, ACSA and Co-Founder & CEO, Cotton & Reed) and Emily Pennington (COO, ACSA) shared key sales data and insights from the 2024 calendar year, while Margie A.S. Lehrman (CEO, ACSA) highlighted the urgent market access improvements needed to provide a lifeline to distilleries, who are in decline for the second consecutive year. The Craft Spirits Data Project, introduced in 2016, is a first-of-its-kind research initiative that aims to provide a solid and reliable fact base for evaluating performance and trends in the U.S. craft spirits industry. The CSDP, which seeks to quantify the number, size, and impact of craft spirits producers in the U.S., is an effort led by ACSA and Park Street. 

In 2024, the U.S. craft spirits category performed in line with the larger spirits market, experiencing its second decline since the creation of this report in 2016. The craft spirits category represented 12.7 million cases (versus 13.5 million in 2023) and $7.58 billion in sales for the year, representing a volume decrease of 6.1% and value decrease of 3.3%.

As a whole, craft spirits sales remain nearly evenly split between the home state (48.5%) and other states (51.5%) in 2024. Since 2021, craft spirits sales in the home state have increased share of total craft spirit sales (+1.1pp) while sales outside the home state have decreased as a percentage of total craft sales (-1.2pp).

Large craft producers shifted resources to focus on sales in their respective home states as well as exports. Medium-sized craft producers do the majority of business in the home state. Small craft producers focused primarily on increasing home state sales, with this channel gaining share of sales accordingly. 

Despite economic headwinds, craft producers continue to reinvest in their businesses, though at a slower rate in 2024. The average amount invested by a craft producer declined from $324,700 in 2022 to $288,900 in 2024. The total investment by all craft producers decreased for the first time, reaching $811 million in 2024. 

BY THE NUMBERS: KEY DATA POINTS FROM THE 2025 CDSP:

1. Craft spirits volume decreased by 6.1%. 12.7 million 9L cases were sold at retail in 2024, down from 13.5 million in 2023.
2. Craft spirits value decreased by 3.3%, totaling $7.58 billion in sales for the year.
3. U.S. craft spirits are losing overall spirits market share to large producers as consumers trade down to lower-priced products. While craft spirits market share by value remained steady at 7.5% in 2024, market share fell 4.5% by volume.
4. Employment numbers within the U.S. craft market declined for the first time post-pandemic, reaching 28,628 full-time domestic employees, down from 29,373 in 2023.
5. Exports, an important runway for growth, were down 120% in 2024, for a total of 142,000 9L cases.

View the full 2025 Craft Spirits Data Project here.

CSDP BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

The Craft Spirits Data Project © 2025 is a proprietary research project whose goal is to provide a solid and reliable fact base for evaluating performance and trends in the U.S. craft spirits industry.  The Craft Spirits Data Project, which was first announced and presented in 

2016, is the beverage industry’s first-ever comprehensive craft distilling study.  The Project quantifies the number, size, and impact of craft spirits producers in the United States.

Together, ACSA and Park Street launched the Craft Spirits Data Project in October, 2015.  The 2025 Craft Spirits Data Project Report covers full year 2024, with data collection taking place from May to August 2025. The Project collected data directly from craft spirits producers (DSPs). 

Active craft distillers are defined as licensed U.S. distilled spirits producers that removed 750,000 proof gallons (or 394,317 9L cases) or less from bond, market themselves as craft, are not openly controlled by a large supplier, and have no proven violation of the ACSA Code of Ethics. 

The Project aims to create a deeper understanding of the U.S. craft spirits landscape  The study collected comprehensive data on craft distiller production size and patterns, sources of revenue, and the category’s overall economic impact within the spirits industry.  The Project also collected data on craft spirits business size, patterns and assessed craft spirits business size and outlook by premise type at retail.  

When estimating the number of producers behind the U.S. craft spirits production, the project team relies on a combination of official data released by regulatory authorities, survey data, other industry data sources both national (e.g., NABCA, ACSA) and regional (e.g., Guilds), as well as interviews and team assessments using the craft distiller definition.

ABOUT ACSA

The American Craft Spirits Association is the only national  registered non-profit trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry.  Its mission is to elevate and advocate for the community of craft spirits producers, and membership in ACSA is open to anyone.  

ACSA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the eligible voting members of the Association.  Voting members must be independent, licensed distillers (DSPs) annually removing fewer than 750,000 proof gallons from bond (the amount on which a Federal Excise Tax is paid.) who subscribe to ACSA’s Code of Ethics.

ABOUT PARK STREET

Launched in 2003 by former McKinsey consultants, Park Street is a technology-enabled solutions company that helps emerging and established alcoholic beverage suppliers and brand owners cost-effectively and securely scale and manage their businesses.  The company combines complex sector expertise with skilled human capital and a purpose-built technology platform to deliver fully transparent and reliable performance. Areas of expertise include regulatory compliance, freight and logistics, importing and distribution, order fulfillment, accounting, HR and benefits management, working capital, information and data management, systems development, systems integration, and more.  The company is trusted by thousands of brands from new-to-market entrepreneurs to well-established multi-brand global suppliers. Park Street is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has over 400 team members supporting operations across the United States and worldwide.