For the past few years, the headlines have been startling.
One after another, breweries have closed throughout Connecticut, painting a grim picture for a once-flourishing scene. As the closures mount, it’s hard for craft brewers and fans alike to not get despondent over the direction of the market.
However, for Mr. CT Beer, the closures don’t paint a full picture of a scene that continues to thrive across the roughly 100 breweries spread across Connecticut.
“People are drinking less alcohol. I think production is down in craft beer, number of operating breweries is down (and) the closures are making headlines. I think there’s some pessimism out there, I get it. The challenges the industry is facing right now are pretty real,” said Kevin Mardorf, the self-described Mr. CT Beer, and founder of CT Beer.com and the Connecticut Field Trip Passport program. “Consumers are just being more selective about where they spend their time and money, so breweries have to work extra hard to earn both. I think the market’s changing and breweries are just trying to adapt.”
Looking at the numbers from the Brewers’ Associations’ 2026 midyear report, regional breweries and microbreweries each declined 3%, followed by taprooms at 2% and brewpubs at 1%. The Brewers’ Association estimates that the craft volume declined 4% in the first six months of 2026 in comparison to the same time frame in 2025.
Despite the doom-and-gloom that the numbers paint, there is still a silver lining, Mardorf said. “I think people are drinking differently, but I can tell you from my marketing programs, they totally haven’t abandoned the brewery experience,” Mardorf said. “Traffic is still there to be won by breweries.”
Though Brewers’ Associations’ 2026 midyear report led off with the winds blowing against the industry, it notes that signs of stability of beginning to emerge within the industry. Every craft brewery type had a greater share reporting growth versus decline, with taprooms (57% growing) and regional breweries (56% growing) sitting at the top, the report reads. Craft drinkers also visited breweries 5.5 times on average over the past year, which is up from 5.1 in 2025.
“It’s becoming increasingly important to how breweries market themselves these days and how they’re going to survive into this next chapter. Hospitality is important,” Mardorf said, adding that breweries are expanding their offerings and hosting events, live music and trivia.
Locally, Mardorf noticed an increase in the number of breweries participating in his Connecticut Field Trip Passport — jumping from 53 in 2026 to 68 in the upcoming 2027 edition. In a recent survey of Connecticut Field Trip Passport users, Mardorf found that 92% of individuals said that discovering new breweries was the best part of the Connecticut Field Trip Passport.
Also of note in Connecticut is the number of breweries taking over shuttered locations. Examples of this include Luppoleto Brewing Co. expanding into the former Almost Famous Brewing Company location in East Granby, Plourd Brewing taking over the former Paddle Creek Beer Company space in East Hartford, Soundview Beer Works taking over the former Milford Point Brewing space, New England Brewing Company took over the Branford space of Stony Creek Brewery, Twelvenote Brew Co. taking over Aspetuck Brew Lab spot in Bridgeport and craft beverage producers coming together at the new Taproom at Suffield in Suffield and Factory Brewing Collective in Bristol.
Despite the volatile nature of the industry, Mardorf believes that the craft beer industry in Connecticut will weather the storm.
“I mean, look at the UK. How long have those pubs been around? For centuries,” Mardorf said.
Dining and Cooking