Not everybody knows the Top 2o craft brewers in the United States. To be considered craft, you have to produced less than 6 million barrels of beer a year. Overall in 2011, the beer business declined by 1.5% nationally. (When you factor in the large breweries.) The craft sector saw an increase of 15% growth in volume of barrels shipped. Here’s the Top 20 brewers ranked:
1. Sam Adams
2. Sierra Nevada
3. New Belgium
4. Craft Brew Alliance (includes Red Hook, Kona, Widmer Brothers)
5. Spoetzel (Makers of Shiner)
6. Magic Hat
7. Deschutes Brewing
8. Matt Brewing (Makers of Saranac)
9. Bell’s
10. Harpoon
11. Lagunitas
12. Boulevard
13. Stone
14. Dogfish Head
15. Brooklyn
16. Alaskan
17. Shipyard
18. Abita
19. Long Trail Brewing
20. Great Lakes Brewing
