The US Brewing Industry (A): Early Years to the Eras of Consolidation and Craft Beer (

The US brewing industry in the 19th and 20th centuries was dominated by two economic themes: steady industry consolidation and product homogenization. These forces worked together to shrink the number of US brewers, which had all produced essentially the same style of lager beer. At the end of the 20th century, however, a plot twist emerged: Craft brewers carved out a niche by brewing different styles of beer in relatively small batches and sold them at a premium price to customers who valued their taste and artisanal associations. Even so, multinational conglomerates continued to dominate the US (and global) beer market into the 21st century, as did the same style of lager that had long prevailed in American culture.