Press Release
Cider Leads Otherwise Static December BPI
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) released the Beer Purchasers’ Index (BPI) for December 2025.
Cider led all segments with a reading of 42, marking the second time in the last five years that Cider has registered a 40 index in consecutive months.
The combination of index readings for at-risk inventory (51) and BPI (25) places the industry in contractionary territory with continued uncertainty for the start of the new year.
Looking across the segments for December:
- The cider segment at 42 is four points higher than December 2024 and one point higher than November 2025.
- The imports index at 36 is 31-points lower than December 2024 and six points lower than November 2025.
- The craft index at 14 is 16-points lower than December 2024 and one point lower than November 2025.
- The premium lights index at 24 is 29-points lower than December 2024 and two points higher than November 2025.
- The premium regular index at 24 is 18-points lower than December 2024 and one point higher than November 2025.
- The below premium index at 40 is five points lower than December 2024 and three points higher than November 2025.
- The FMB/seltzer index at 31 is 14-points lower than December 2024 and one point lower than November 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.