US Beer Shipments Fell 6.0% in May. YTD Volume Is Down 5.0% Through the First Five Months.

The Beer Institute published its unofficial estimate of US beer taxable removals for May 2026 on 7 July, confirming a volume decline of 6.0% compared to May 2025. Domestic brewers shipped an estimated 12.2 million barrels in May 2026, against 12,975,660 barrels in the same month last year – a reduction of approximately 775,660 barrels. Year-to-date through May 2026, taxable removals stand at 55.46 million barrels, down 5.0% against the same period in 2025, representing a volume shortfall of approximately 2.89 million barrels.