Anheuser-Busch plans to shut down three big breweries in the U.S. in December 2025. This will cut 475 jobs in Fairfield, California; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and Newark, New Jersey. The Fairfield plant has run since 1976 and it marks the company’s biggest pullback from U.S. sites ever.
Earlier, it closed places in Canton, Ohio, and Oakland, California. These moves show a long-term drop in the beer business as people drink less beer now forcing the company to shrink to match lower demand.
Budweiser’s Fall from the Top
Budweiser used to rule U.S. beer sales. In 1988, it held 25% of the market but by January 2025, it dropped to seventh place. That’s a 37-year slide. Bud Light led sales from 2003 to 2023. Then, a 2023 ad deal with influencer Dylan Mulvaney sparked a boycott. Sales fell 21% right away. By May, they dropped 28%. In February 2025, they sat 40% below old levels.
The company lost $1.4 billion in North American sales. Its stock fell 20%, wiping out $27 billion in value. CEO Michael Doukeris said in February 2024 they regained just 1.2% market share every three to four weeks. Full recovery could take years.
The Whole Beer Industry Shrinks
Budweiser’s problems match bigger trends. U.S. beer output dropped from 189 million barrels in 2016-2017 to about 160 million in 2025. Shipments fell under 200 million barrels in 2023 for the first time since 1999. Polls show Americans drink less alcohol overall. Craft beer, once a hot growth area, fell 4% in 2024 to 23.1 million barrels. That’s three years straight of losses.
For the first time in 20 years, more breweries closed than opened. The market feels full. New brands steal share from old ones. Michelob Ultra tops volume at 8.5%. Modelo Especial leads dollar sales since June 2023. Both took spots from Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch owns Michelob Ultra, so it gains in fancy beers while flagships suffer.
Hard Hits to Workers and Towns
The closures shrink Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. breweries from 12 to 9, a 25% cut. Fairfield loses 238 jobs, Merrimack 124, and Newark 110. Workers get offers to move or take payout. But moves of 200 to 400 miles are tough for many. Fairfield hurts most. The city loses $1.2 to $1.5 million yearly in water fees.
Property taxes drop $22.9 million a year, $10.7 million local, $8.9 million to California, and $3.3 million federal. Beyond 238 jobs, 306 more in building, food, and trucking could vanish. Total: 544 losses. Newark’s plant from 1951 will sell to Goodman Group for warehouses. It ends 75 years of brewing, but the site stays useful.
Company Choices and New Rivals
Anheuser-Busch spent $2 billion on 100 sites over five years. Still, three closed. Merrimack was old and too big. Newer plants with robots win out over old ones. The focus is on saving money, not jobs. U.S. sales and profits fell, but in October 2025, the firm announced a $6 billion stock buyback. Third-quarter profits crashed 49% from $2.07 billion to $1.05 billion.
Money goes to shareholders, not U.S. plants. New threats grow. THC drinks jumped from $3.09 billion in 2024 to a predicted $117.05 billion by 2032, that’s 57.5% yearly growth. Young people pick weed drinks, fancy options, or no booze. In 2025, 19% swapped alcohol for cannabis and 25% joined “Dry January.” Tariffs hike aluminum 25% while U.S. hop fields shrank 18%. Suppliers like Gallo Glass face fewer orders.
Sources:
Anheuser-Busch to close 3 breweries in the US, affecting workers across three states. World Socialist Web Site, December 14, 2025.
How the decline of Budweiser was decades in the making. New York Post, January 25, 2025.
Bud Light hasn’t recovered from Mulvaney controversy, ex-Anheuser-Busch exec says. Fox Business, February 4, 2025.
AB/InBev to close Merrimack plant, impacting 125 jobs. In Depth NH, December 10, 2025.
Iconic 75-year-old brewery closing, no bankruptcy. Yahoo Finance, December 13, 2025.
Anheuser-Busch is closing its iconic N.J. brewery after 75 years. NJ.com, December 11, 2025.