NBWA - National Beer Wholesalers Association Inc.

08/28/2026 | Press release | Archived content

August BPI Reflects End-of-Summer Inventory Adjustment

Press Release Aug 28, 2026

August BPI Reflects End-of-Summer Inventory Adjustment

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) released the Beer Purchasers' Index (BPI) for August 2026.

The August BPI reading of 40 marks a 13-point improvement from August 2025 and is in line with the past three years' end-of-summer readings (27, 40, 38). Coupled with a low At-Risk Inventory (ARI) reading of 45, these results place the beer industry in a "cautionary" position as it closes out the summer selling season.

Compared to August 2025, all but two segments recorded higher year-over-year readings along with continued lower ARI readings. This is the first time that Cider has posted a higher reading than Imports in the history of the Beer Purchasers' Index survey.

Looking across the segments for August:

  • The cider segment at 44 is five points higher than August 2025 but four points lower than July 2026. Cider also recorded the highest reading across all segments.
  • The FMB/seltzer index at 42 is three points higher than August 2025 and 13 points lower than July 2026.
  • The below premium index at 40 is five points higher than August 2025 and 15 points lower than July 2026.
  • The premium lights index at 40 is four points higher than August 2025 and 12 points lower than July 2026.
  • The imports index at 40 is three points lower than August 2025 and 11 points lower than July 2026.
  • The premium regular index at 31 is three points lower than August 2025 and 11 points lower than July 2026.
  • The craft index at 16 is two points higher than August 2025 and ten points lower than July 2026.

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.

NBWA - National Beer Wholesalers Association Inc. published this content on August 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 31, 2026 at 11:26 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]