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Forecasting Beer in a Mysterious Year

Have a plan—but build it with a cushion that will allow your business to adapt to the unexpected and take the occasional risk. Here, the planners at North Carolina’s Highland Brewing share their evolving approach and best advice.

Industry All Access
Photo: Courtesy Highland Brewing
Photo: Courtesy Highland Brewing

While it may have been satisfying to rip that final page off the 2020 calendar, the next 12 months remain pretty opaque for the brewing industry. There is proverbial light in the pandemic tunnel, but none know when we'll reach the end—or whether other surprises await.

Will on-premise crank up again this summer? How will the aluminum-can supply look in six months? Will drinkers’ grocery-shopping habits change again this year? Forecasting in the face of such uncertainty might seem futile—but modifying a plan is still easier and safer than having no plan at all.

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