Make Me Smart Is craft beer's popularity going flat?
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Oct 3, 2025 Henry Epp, a Marketplace reporter with a background in local journalism from Vermont, explores the maturing craft beer industry. He discusses why growth is slowing, highlighting rising costs and shifting consumer tastes. The conversation also touches on governmental power moves during the Trump administration's shutdown. Additionally, they delve into tech trends like the end of AOL dial-up and the implications of AI-generated content in college submissions, offering insights into the changing landscape of media and education.
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Vermont's Craft Beer Scene
- Henry Epp describes Vermont as having the most breweries per capita and a vibrant local craft scene.
- He ties that local example to a national trend of the craft beer boom cooling off in recent years.
Craft Beer Boom Has 'Matured'
- The craft beer industry boomed in the 2010s but is now
Cost And Taste Shift Hit Breweries
- Rising costs and higher interest rates have reversed the economics that fueled brewery growth.
- Younger drinkers prefer alternatives like hard seltzer and mocktails, reducing craft beer's cultural cachet.