Arkansas Brewery Growth Trends

Track how Arkansas craft beer has changed since 1994 — brewery openings, closings, and cumulative growth from our establishment database.

10-year trajectory

10-Year Market Trajectory

Comparing 2016 to the most recent complete year (2025). Updates automatically each January.

2016

Openings
3
Closings
0

2025

Openings
4
Closings
1

Market Shift

  • Openings up 33%
  • Closings up from 0

Rolling decade narrative

Over the last rolling 10 years, Arkansas has seen a shift in market maturity. Brewery openings peaked in 2023 with 8 new establishments, while closings reached a historical high in 2020. Over this decade-long window, recent years point to renewed expansion after an earlier period of market correction.

Core metrics

Total Active Breweries

63

As of 2026

Net Growth This Year 2026 YTD

+1

1 openings, 0 closings · 2026 YTD

Avg. Lifespan (Closed Breweries)

6 years

Closed breweries since 1994

Net Churn Rate: Opening and Closing Trends

Net Churn Rate (Rolling 10 Years)

Net annual variance (openings minus closings) for 2016–2025. Bars above zero indicate growth; bars below zero indicate contraction.

-8-6-4-20+2+4+6+82016: net +320162017: net +420172018: net +220182019: net +420192020: net +120202021: net +720212022: net +220222023: net +720232024: net +420242025: net +32025

Open Year vs. Close Year

How many breweries opened in each year (columns) and closed in each year (rows). Uses year-only dates; darker cells = more closures.

Open year → 20162017201820192020202120222023202420252016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Age at Closing vs. Calendar Year

Lifespan brackets (close year minus open year) for breweries closed in each calendar year. Darker cells show where mature breweries are exiting the market.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420250–2 years3–5 years6–10 years11+ years

Key insights

In 2025, Arkansas saw 4 brewery openings and 1 closings, for net growth of 3.
Through 2026, Arkansas has recorded 1 brewery openings and 0 closings so far this year.
Arkansas currently has 63 active breweries tracked in our database.

How Many Breweries Opened and Closed in Arkansas?

Opening and Closing Trends

Green bars: brewery openings. Red bars: permanent closings, by calendar year (1994 onward).

024681994: 0 openings1994: 0 closings19941995: 0 openings1995: 0 closings1996: 0 openings1996: 0 closings1997: 0 openings1997: 0 closings19971998: 0 openings1998: 0 closings1999: 1 openings1999: 0 closings2000: 0 openings2000: 0 closings20002001: 0 openings2001: 1 closings2002: 1 openings2002: 0 closings2003: 1 openings2003: 0 closings20032004: 1 openings2004: 1 closings2005: 0 openings2005: 0 closings2006: 0 openings2006: 0 closings20062007: 1 openings2007: 0 closings2008: 0 openings2008: 1 closings2009: 1 openings2009: 0 closings20092010: 1 openings2010: 0 closings2011: 1 openings2011: 0 closings2012: 3 openings2012: 0 closings20122013: 6 openings2013: 0 closings2014: 3 openings2014: 1 closings2015: 6 openings2015: 0 closings20152016: 3 openings2016: 0 closings2017: 4 openings2017: 0 closings2018: 4 openings2018: 2 closings20182019: 6 openings2019: 2 closings2020: 4 openings2020: 3 closings2021: 7 openings2021: 0 closings20212022: 3 openings2022: 1 closings2023: 8 openings2023: 1 closings2024: 5 openings2024: 1 closings20242025: 4 openings2025: 1 closings2026: 1 openings2026: 0 closings2026
  • Openings
  • Closings

Cumulative Brewery Growth

Total active Arkansas breweries at the end of each calendar year (since 1994).

0204060801994: 3 active breweries19941995: 3 active breweries1996: 3 active breweries1997: 3 active breweries19971998: 3 active breweries1999: 3 active breweries2000: 4 active breweries20002001: 4 active breweries2002: 3 active breweries2003: 4 active breweries20032004: 5 active breweries2005: 5 active breweries2006: 5 active breweries20062007: 6 active breweries2008: 5 active breweries2009: 5 active breweries20092010: 7 active breweries2011: 8 active breweries2012: 10 active breweries20122013: 15 active breweries2014: 19 active breweries2015: 24 active breweries20152016: 27 active breweries2017: 32 active breweries2018: 35 active breweries20182019: 36 active breweries2020: 39 active breweries2021: 46 active breweries20212022: 48 active breweries2023: 53 active breweries2024: 59 active breweries20242025: 62 active breweries2026: 63 active breweries2026
Year-by-year data table
YearOpeningsClosingsNetActive at Year End
202610+163
202541+362
202451+459
202381+753
202231+248
202170+746
202043+139
201962+436
201842+235
201740+432
201630+327
201560+624
201431+219
201360+615
201230+310
201110+18
201010+17
200910+15
200801-15
200710+16
200600+05
200500+05
200411+05
200310+14
200210+13
200101-14
200000+04
199910+13
199800+03
199700+03
199600+03
199500+03
199400+03

Methodology: Charts and year-by-year tables cover 1994–present, when the modern craft beer movement took off. Counts include active Arkansas breweries (Brewery, Brew Pub, and Microbrewery categories). Opening and closing years are derived from establishment open and close dates where available; cumulative totals include pre-1994 breweries still active in that era. Rolling 10-year net churn, trajectory cards, and decade narrative compare 2016–2025 and refresh automatically.

Data accuracy: Opening and closing years are compiled from public sources—brewery websites, news reports, industry directories, and archival research—not from government or regulatory filings. Coverage varies by state and brewery; some dates are approximate or unknown. Charts, counts, and narratives reflect our directory at the time shown and may change as we correct the record.

Last updated: October 7, 2026