Editor's letter

Welcome to the new edition of Just Drinks’ quarterly digital magazine. 

After a heady 20 years, North America’s craft beer market has lost its fizz. 

The number of breweries suggests a picture of health – there was a 1% rise in the US in 2023 to over 9,600 – but openings have slowed significantly and production fell last year. 

In our cover story, we examine why – and it seems a lack of innovation and consumer demand for humdrum hazeys are central to the malaise.

Elsewhere, we look at a product segment at the very start of its journey – non-alcoholic alternatives to RTDs. Zero-alcohol cocktails and alcohol-free seltzers are emerging but progress is slow. 

Our In Depth pages also cast a spotlight on Argentina’s winemakers, who have been wrestling with a volatile economy and feature coffee supplier Farmer Brothers, which talks changing consumer habits. 

Thanks for reading.

Dean Best, managing editor