Significant beer digits V (and some Monday links)

The longest-ever bull market ended last week. When it began — March 9, 2009 — there were about 1,550 breweries in the country. (About because the Brewers Association count at the end of 2008 has been revised a few times, and the official total is now 1,523 at the end of 2008 and 1,600 at the end of 2009).

Since then about 7,500 have opened, and about 1,300 have closed. (About because the BA has not released final 2019 totals.)

That’s 7,500, or so, breweries that have only sold their beer while the economy was expanding . . . and, of course, before social distancing.

Almost 3,000 of the country’s 8,000-plus breweries are brewery-restaurants. A good portion of the others are breweries with taprooms, in some cases earning most of their income from what they sell across the bar. Social distancing was not in their business plan.

Further reading:

– What COVID-19 Means for the Beer Industry’s Frontline Staff

– Beer industry watches and waits as coronavirus epidemic unfolds

– Coronavirus Impact on Beer Industry: Taproom Closures, Event Cancellations

– ProBrewer Wants To Help In This Crisis — Let’s Talk

– Brewers Association’s Bob Pease Discusses The Road Ahead for Small Brewers

– The Coronavirus Cost to Business and Workers: ‘It Has All Gone to Hell’

– The Dos and Don’ts of Social Distancing

– “A single person’s behavior can cause ripple effects that touch faraway people”

– Game Theory of Social Distancing in Response to an Epidemic

AND FROM TWITTER