The Block Club Chicago Podcast Chicago Is Hemorrhaging Breweries. Is There A Way To Stop It?
Mar 12, 2026
Seamus Toomey, co-founder and publisher of a nonprofit Chicago news outlet, gives a concise look at the city's shifting craft-brew scene. He traces the boom from a few taprooms to 200-plus, explores pandemic and economic pressures, and discusses mergers like Half Acre and Maplewood and signs of renewal. Short takes on closures, survival strategies, and neighborhood impact keep the conversation vivid.
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Rapid Brewery Boom Created Dangerous Oversupply
- Chicago's brewery growth exploded from a handful to over 200 by 2017, creating an oversaturated market.
- Oversaturation plus COVID and changing drinking habits among younger people triggered a steep contraction with many closures.
Distribution Bets Left Many Breweries Overextended
- Many small breweries bet on distribution to scale, investing in tanks and inventory expecting shelf space sales.
- When many moved into distribution simultaneously and retail demand declined, those investments became financial burdens.
Shifting Consumer Preferences Hurt Beer Demand
- National drinking trends shifted away from beer toward spirits and no/low alcohol options, shrinking beer's market share from about 60% to 40%.
- This change, plus health consciousness and low-ABV seltzers, directly reduces demand for craft beer.