Press Release
January BPI Sees Significant Bump From December
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) released the Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) for January 2026.
January saw the highest BPI reading since July 2025 and a 14-point jump from December. All segments except Cider posted higher month-over-month readings, led by the first Below Premium reading of 50 in over a year.
The combination of index readings for at-risk inventory (45) and BPI (39) moves the industry from contractionary to cautionary positioning to start the new year.
Looking across the segments for January:
- The imports index at 44 is 17-points lower than January 2025 and eight points higher than December 2025.
- The craft index at 21 is five points lower than January 2025 and seven points higher than December 2025.
- The premium lights index at 38 is 11-points lower than January 2025 and 14-points higher than December 2025.
- The premium regular index at 38 is seven points lower than January 2025 and 14-points higher than December 2025.
- The below premium index at 50 is six points lower than January 2025 and 10-points higher than December 2025.
- The FMB/seltzer index at 43 is three points lower than January 2025 and 12-points higher than December 2025.
- The cider segment at 42 is 11-points higher than January 2025 and two points lower than December 2025.
About NBWA’s Beer Purchasers’ Index: BPI is the only forward-looking indicator for distributors to measure expected beer demand. The index surveys beer distributors’ purchases across different segments and compares them to previous years. A reading greater than 50 indicates the segment is expanding, while a reading below 50 indicates the segment is contracting.
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The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) represents America’s 3,000 independent beer distributors who service every state, congressional district and media market across the country. Licensed at the federal and state levels, beer distributors get bottles, cans, cases and kegs from a brewer or importer to stores, restaurants and other licensed retail accounts through a transparent and accountable regulatory system.
Distributors build brands of all sizes – from familiar domestic beers to new startup labels and imports from around the world – and generate enormous consumer choice while supporting more than 135,000 quality jobs in their home communities. Beer distributors work locally to keep communities safe by sponsoring programs to promote responsible consumption, combat drunk driving and reduce underage drinking.