Management Consulting

Turnaround Consulting Case Interview: Craft Beer Decline (W/ BCG & EY Consultants)

RocketBlocks
RocketBlocks•Mar 4, 2026

Why It Matters

Understanding the size and growth dynamics of craft versus non‑alcoholic beer equips brewers to allocate resources toward segments that can offset declining traditional volumes and sustain profitability.

Key Takeaways

  • •Craft beer market valued around $33 billion nationally in the U.S.
  • •Non‑alcoholic beer market roughly $1.6 billion, growing 22% annually.
  • •Dashes Brewery experienced 11% volume drop despite overall industry growth.
  • •Analysis framework covers market, customers, competitors, and financial performance.
  • •Strategic options include product innovation, channel shifts, or M&A moves.

Summary

The video walks through a mock consulting case in which Dashes Brewery, a top‑10 U.S. craft brewer, faces an 11% decline in volume and a $10 million revenue drop despite a modest 2.9% growth in the overall craft‑beer segment. The CEO has hired the interview team to decide whether to stay the course or pivot the business model amid broader shifts such as Gen Z’s reduced alcohol consumption and a 22% annual surge in non‑alcoholic (NA) beer.

Abby outlines a four‑bucket framework: market sizing, customer deep‑dive, competitive landscape, and financial analysis. She estimates the national craft‑beer market at roughly $33 billion and the NA‑beer market at $1.6 billion, highlighting the stark size difference but also the rapid growth of the latter. The analysis also surfaces that Dashes’ decline is steeper than the industry trend, suggesting company‑specific issues.

Key moments include a live market‑size calculation using Portland bar data, where 300 bars (2% of on‑premise market) translate to a $33 billion craft‑beer TAM and a $1.6 billion NA‑beer TAM after scaling. Abby emphasizes benchmarking against peers on price, SKU count, and margins, and proposes gathering customer surveys to capture shifting preferences toward NA‑beer and alternative beverages.

The takeaway for Dashes—and similar brewers—is to prioritize high‑growth segments, consider product innovation (e.g., NA‑beer lines), explore new distribution channels, or pursue strategic M&A to regain volume. Without data‑driven adjustments, the company risks further erosion in a fragmented market.

Original Description

🎥 Here’s a consulting case interview focused on a turnaround strategy for a popular brewery.
Deschutes Brewery, a top 10 U.S. craft brewer based in Bend, Oregon, is facing a sharp downturn as Americans drink less beer. After years of steady growth, the company saw volume fall 11% last year while revenue declined from $92M to $82M. The CEO believes the craft beer industry may be at an inflection point and has hired your firm to determine whether Deschutes should stay the course or rethink its strategy.
Watch Matthew Calvert (ex-BCG Consultant) run Abigail Doeksen (ex-BCG Consultant, Yale MBA) through this growth-focused consulting case interview.
🎬 Video Sections:
00:00 Start
00:03 About the case
00:43 Case question
01:40 Clarifying questions
04:38 Framework
09:36 Interviewer feedback
10:10 Market sizing
18:56 Interviewer feedback
20:03 Quantitative
28:55 Interviewer feedback
29:14 Brainstorm
35:37 Interviewer feedback
36:10 Recommendation
37:56 Interviewer feedback
38:05 Conclusion
🚀 Prepping for case interviews? RocketBlocks has the best concepts, drills, and coaching to get you more consulting offers: https://www.rocketblocks.me/consulting.php?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=LastCall-yt-mock
📝 Try this case on your own and read through sample answers with the full PDF:
#consultinginterviews #BCG #McKinsey #beer #alcohol

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Loading comments...