Beyond the Pint: Declining Beer Consumption in the European Union and the Strategic Future of Craft Breweries

EU beer markets are undergoing structural reconfiguration rather than uniform decline. Industry estimates indicate that beer consumption decreased from 320.2 million hectolitres in 2019 to 291.3 million in 2025, while Eurostat recorded an 11.1% increase in production of beer containing less than 0.5% alcohol in 2024. This integrative secondary data review examines evidence from official statistics, policy documents, industry sources, peer-reviewed research and reputable news reporting. The synthesis identifies concurrent demand, policy, channel and supply pressures, while avoiding causal claims that the available descriptive evidence cannot support. It also defines a small-scale transition penalty: the disproportionate burden placed on small breweries when entry into an expanding category requires fixed technological, safety and compliance investments. Craft breweries retain opportunities in disciplined premiumisation, moderation-compatible innovation, direct hospitality, tourism, place-based branding, circular production and cooperation. The proposed framework links structural drivers and market pressures to strategic responses and four contingent resilience outcomes: economic, portfolio, territorial and institutional. Craft brewery viability increasingly depends on creating greater value per litre and consumption occasion while aligning innovation with public health, environmental and local development objectives.