I love this time of year. The days are getting long and the air is slowly warming. Baseball season has begun and the fruit trees are in bloom. It is spring: the season of hope. For beer geeks like us this is also the time of year that the Brewers Association releases all sorts of statistics about the previous year. For instance, last week we shared the news that U.S. craft beer exports were up significantly in 2011. Who knew that people in Brazil craved our beer?
The Brewers Association has released its list of the Top 50 Breweries in America. There are things we can learn from this list. Be sure to pay attention to the footnotes and the caveats.
PRESS RELEASE
Brewers Association Releases Top 50 Breweries in 2011
Boulder, CO • April 17, 2012 – The Brewers Association—the not-for-profit trade group that tabulates production statistics for U.S. breweries—today released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on 2011 beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 36 are small and independent¹ craft brewing companies¹,².
“In the last 15 years, craft brewing has gone from one percent of the overall beer market to almost six percent in 2011,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “We attribute a large part of that growth to the many talented brewers who are providing beer lovers with more beer style and flavor choices than ever before.”
Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies
(Based on 2011 beer sales volume)
Rank | Brewing Company | City | State |
1 | Boston Beer Co. | Boston | MA |
2 | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chico | CA |
3 | New Belgium Brewing Co. | Fort Collins | CO |
4 | The Gambrinus Company | San Antonio | TX |
5 | Deschutes Brewery | Bend | OR |
6 | Matt Brewing Co. | Utica | NY |
7 | Bell’s Brewery, Inc. | Galesburg | MI |
8 | Harpoon Brewery | Boston | MA |
9 | Lagunitas Brewing Co. | Petaluma | CA |
10 | Boulevard Brewing Co. | Kansas City | MO |
11 | Stone Brewing Company | Escondido | CA |
12 | Dogfish Head Craft Brewery | Milton | DE |
13 | Brooklyn Brewery | Brooklyn | NY |
14 | Alaskan Brewing & Bottling Co. | Juneau | AK |
15 | Long Trail Brewing Co. | Burlington | VT |
16 | Shipyard Brewing Co. | Portland | ME |
17 | Abita Brewing Co. | Abita Springs | LA |
18 | Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Cleveland | OH |
19 | New Glarus Brewing Co. | New Glarus | WI |
20 | Full Sail Brewing Co. | Hood River | OR |
21 | Summit Brewing Co. | St. Paul | MN |
22 | Anchor Brewing Co. | San Francisco | CA |
23 | Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | Paso Robles | CA |
24 | Sweetwater Brewing Co. | Atlanta | GA |
25 | Rogue Ales | Newport | OR |
26 | Flying Dog Brewery | Frederick | MD |
27 | Victory Brewing Co. | Downingtown | PA |
28 | CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants | Chatta./Louis. | TN/CO |
29 | Oskar Blues Brewery | Longmont | CO |
30 | Odell Brewing Co. | Fort Collins | CO |
31 | Stevens Point Brewery Co. | Stevens Point | WI |
32 | Ninkasi Brewing Co. | Eugene | OR |
33 | BJ’s Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. | Huntington Beach | CA |
34 | Blue Point Brewing Co. | Patchogue | NY |
35 | Bear Republic Brewing Co. | Cloverdale | CA |
36 | Lost Coast Brewery Cafe | Eureka | CA |
37 | Big Sky Brewing Co. | Missoula | MT |
38 | North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. | Fort Bragg | CA |
39 | Saint Louis Brewery, Inc./Schlafly Bottleworks | St. Louis | MO |
40 | Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. | San Jose | CA |
41 | Breckenridge Brewery | Denver | CO |
42 | Founders Brewing Co. | Grand Rapids | MI |
43 | Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Houston | TX |
44 | Karl Strauss Brewing Co. | San Diego | CA |
45 | Real Ale Brewing Co. | Blanco | TX |
46 | Mac and Jack’s Brewery Inc. | Redmond | WA |
47 | Smuttynose Brewing Co. | Portsmouth | NH |
48 | Utah Brewers Cooperative | Salt Lake City | UT |
49 | Left Hand Brewing Co. | Longmont | CO |
t.50 | Anderson Valley Brewing Co. | Boonville | CA |
t.50 | Four Peaks Brewing Co. | Tempe | AZ |
Top 50 Brewing Companies
(Based on 2011 beer sales volume)
Rank | Brewing Company | City | State |
1 | Anheuser-Busch Inc. (a) | St. Louis | MO |
2 | MillerCoors (b) | Chicago | IL |
3 | Pabst Brewing Co. (c) | Woodbridge | IL |
4 | D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc. | Pottsville | PA |
5 | Boston Beer Co. | Boston | MA |
6 | North American Breweries (d) | Rochester | NY |
7 | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chico | CA |
8 | New Belgium Brewing Co. | Fort Collins | CO |
9 | Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc. (e) | Portland | OR |
10 | The Gambrinus Company (f) | San Antonio | TX |
11 | Deschutes Brewery | Bend | OR |
12 | Matt Brewing Co. (g) | Utica | NY |
13 | Bell’s Brewery, Inc. | Galesburg | MI |
14 | Minhas Craft Brewery (h) | Monroe | WI |
15 | Harpoon Brewery | Boston | MA |
16 | Lagunitas Brewing Co. | Petaluma | CA |
17 | Boulevard Brewing Co. | Kansas City | MO |
18 | Stone Brewing Co. | Escondido | CA |
19 | Dogfish Head Craft Brewery | Milton | DE |
20 | Brooklyn Brewery | Brooklyn | NY |
21 | Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co. | Juneau | AK |
22 | Long Trail Brewing Co. | Burlington | VT |
23 | August Schell Brewing Co. (i) | New Ulm | MN |
24 | Shipyard Brewing Co. | Portland | ME |
25 | Abita Brewing Co. | Abita Springs | LA |
26 | World Brews/Winery Exchange (j) | Novato | CA |
27 | Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Cleveland | OH |
28 | New Glarus Brewing Co. | New Glarus | WI |
29 | Full Sail Brewing Co. | Hood River | OR |
30 | Pittsburgh Brewing Co. | Pittsburgh | PA |
31 | Summit Brewing Co. | St. Paul | MN |
32 | Anchor Brewing Co. | San Francisco | CA |
33 | Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | Paso Robles | CA |
34 | Cold Spring Brewing Co. (k) | Cold Spring | MN |
35 | Sweetwater Brewing Co. | Atlanta | GA |
36 | Rogue Ales Brewery | Newport | OR |
37 | Mendocino Brewing Co. (l) | Ukiah | CA |
38 | Flying Dog Brewery | Frederick | MD |
39 | Victory Brewing Co. | Downingtown | PA |
40 | CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants (m) | Chatt./Louis. | TN/CO |
41 | Oskar Blues Brewery & Tasty Weasel Tap Room | Longmont | CO |
42 | Odell Brewing Co. | Fort Collins | CO |
43 | Stevens Point Brewery Co. (n) | Stevens Point | WI |
44 | Ninkasi Brewing Co. | Eugene | OR |
45 | BJ’s Chicago Pizza & Brewery | Huntington Beach | CA |
46 | Blue Point Brewing Co. | Patchogue | NY |
47 | Bear Republic Brewing Co. | Cloverdale | CA |
48 | Goose Island Brewing Co. (o) | Chicago | IL |
49 | Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe | Eureka | CA |
50 | Narragansett Brewing Co. | Providence | RI |
*Top 50 U.S. Overall Brewing Companies notes: (a) includes Bass, Beck’s, Busch, Goose Island, Landshark, Michelob, Rolling Rock, Shock Top and Wild Blue brands. Does not include partially owned Coastal, Kona, Red Hook and Widmer Brothers brands; (b) includes A.C. Golden, Batch 19, Blue Moon, Colorado Native, Herman Joseph, Keystone, Killian’s and Leinenkugel’s brands; (c) includes Schlitz and 28 other brand families; (d) includes Dundee, Genesee, Labatt Lime, Magic Hat and Pyramid brands; (e) includes Kona, Red Hook and Widmer Brothers brands; (f) includes BridgePort, Shiner and Trumer brands; (g) includes Flying Bison brands; (h) includes Mountain Crest and 10 other brand families; (i) includes Grain Belt brand; (j) private label brands; (k) includes Gluek and 17 other brand families; (l) includes Butte Creek, Kingfisher and Olde Saratoga brands; (m) includes A1A, Big River, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants, Rock Bottom Restaurants, Ragtime and Seven Bridges brewpubs; (n) includes James Page and Whole Hog brands; (o) sold to Anheuser-Busch in 2011.
The Association’s full 2011 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual breweries, will be published in the May/June issue of The New Brewer, available May 22, 2012.
For additional statistics, see the craft brewing statistics, and 2011 craft brewer sales numbers.
¹The definition of a craft brewer as stated by the Brewers Association: An American craft brewer is small, independent, and traditional. Small: Annual production of beer less than 6 million barrels. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewer’s brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.
²Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for the Top 50 rankings.
Contact:
Abby Berman (on behalf of the Brewers Association)
abby@rosengrouppr.com
646.695.7044
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The Brewers Association is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The Brewers Association (BA) represents more than 70 percent of the brewing industry, and its members make more than 99 percent of the beer brewed in the U.S. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America®, SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience and American Craft Beer Week. The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine and its Brewers Publications division is the largest publisher of contemporary and relevant brewing literature for today’s craft brewers and homebrewers.
Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association. Follow us on Twitter.