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Brewers Association releases Top 50 production list

Beer production volume is down according to the Brewers Associations’s annual beer production report for 2024.

The Brewers Association, the trade association representing America’s small and independent craft brewers has released the annual production numbers for the United States. In Continue Reading →

Posted in Beer News, Don't Miss This

Brewers Association releases Top 50 production list

Beer production volume is down according to the Brewers Associations’s annual beer production report for 2024.

The Brewers Association, the trade association representing America’s small and independent craft brewers has released the annual production numbers for the United States. In short, beer production is down.

Production.

Craft brewers (read the footnote below on the current craft brewer definition) across the U.S. produced 23.1 million barrels or (or 716.1 million gallons) of beer in 2024. That’s a down 4% from the 2023 production volume. The overall beer market (which includes non-craft designated breweries like AB InBev and Coors) fell 1.2% overall.

Craft market share stayed flat at 13.3%

The 10,000 brewery mark is still far away.

10,000 operating breweries in the United States is milestone many in the beer industry wanted to see crossed, somehow proving the country’s love affair with beer- a goal that is slipping away from us.

As of today, the U.S. has 9,612 breweries – including 1,934 microbreweries, 3,389 brewpubs, 3,695 taproom breweries, and 266 regional craft breweries.

2024 was the first year since 2005 (1,447 breweries) where the overall number of operating craft breweries declined nationwide. The total number of breweries in the U.S. dropped to 9,680, down from 9,747 in 2023.

434 breweries opened, 501 closed.

The 2024 Top 50 Highlights:

Tilray has jumped to #3, especially after acquiring brands like Shock Top, Terrapin Beer, and Blue Point. are driven by SweetWater, Alpine and Green Flash as well.

Stone Brewing, Bell’s Brewery, and Founder’s Brewing exit after acquisitions.

Additions:

  • Barrel One Collective formed in 2024 from the merger of Mass. Bay Brewing Company and Finestkind Brewing LLC
  • Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times) : Reflects Modern Times’ acquisition by Maui Brewing.
  • Hendler Family Brewing Company, emerging in 2024 as the parent company Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (started in 2011), growing with acquisitions of Wormtown Brewery (April 2024) and Night Shift Brewing (October 2024). Collectively Massachusetts largest craft beer producer, projecting 100,000 barrels in 2025.
  • Zero Gravity Craft Brewery- 1st appearance at #47, Burlington, Vermont.
  • New Trail Brewing Co., based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, at #46.
  • Monster Brewing Co. is the new name of former CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, at #9. The name change to Monster Brewing Co. occurred in January 2024, after Monster Beverage Corporation announced that CANarchy would operate under the new name.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Sneaky Pete Spirits

“Yacht Water” a tequila seltzer collab with Lil Yachty debuts

Yacht Water, a new line of tequila seltzers created with Lil Yachty and Kevin “Coach K’ Lee debuts.

Sneaky Pete Spirits, the spirits spin-off from Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing is releasing a new line of additive-free tequila seltzers known as Yacht Water – a collaboration with Grammy-nominated recording artist Lil Yachty, and music executive Kevin “Coach K” Lee.

Ranch Water

Ranch Water is a tequila-based cocktail that doesn’t have a single origin story, other than coming from West Texas in the mid-1900s. The story is fairly simple. Texas is hot as hell, and ranchers would mix tequila (as they are near Mexico) with lime and sparkling water. As the modern cocktail culture has grown, Ranch Water started gaining popularity outside the Lonestar State.

Yacht Water – “No Additives.”

According to Sneaky Spirits, while many canned cocktails state they include natural and artificial flavors, Yacht Water is natural all the way through. “Each can features a mixture of real reposado tequila, real key lime juice, the addition of either fresh orange juice or fresh jalapeños, ultra-purified sparkling water, and a touch of sea salt, resulting in a taste that is perfectly balanced, crisp, and refreshing,” per the company’s press release.

Yacht Water is available in three flavors at launch – Key Lime, Jalapeno, and Sunrise (with orange juice, lime, reposado tequila, and sea salt.) Each 12-ounce can is 5.8% alcohol by volume, hitting retailers in Georgia and Tennessee at the time of this story.

Style: Canned Cocktail (Tequila)
Availability: 12oz Cans
Debut: Late- February 2025

5.8% ABV

Images: Pedro Marashi | Southern Exposure Media Group

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brewery Closures, Don't Miss This, Red Hare Brewing

Red Hare Brewing silently closes last location

Marietta, Georgia-based Red Hare Brewing seems to have quietly closed their last remaining sometime after the start of 2025.

Red Hare Brewing was founded in 2011 on Delk Road in Marietta, Georgia. In 2018, it opened a second location in Shallotte, North Carolina. In 2020, Red Hare announced they would take over the Hemingway’s Bar and Grill building on Marietta Square in the downtown area over the coming months.

The North Carolina facility shuttered in 2022 after four years.

Just about a year ago, in March 2024, founder Bobby Thomas announced the brewery would close the original Delk Road location due to costs and inflation and move production to a smaller location in the future.

The Marietta Square location remained open through at least New Year’s Eve going into 2025.

It seems that the Marietta Square location has also closed without any announcement. Google has marked this location permanently closed. Social media and Reddit discussions mention that the location hasn’t opened in weeks now, and the brewery website has been taken down.

Emails to the owner return as undeliverable.

Since the Delk Road closure, no official announcement has been made about a permanent closure or a new production facility.

Currently, Red Hare Brewing has no open facilities.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This

Saquon Barkley gifts his lineman with a truck full of Bud Light (each)

Today, the Philadelphia Eagles are parading through downtown Philadelphia after winning the Super Bowl. There will be plenty of Bud Light, thanks to Saquon Barkley.

According to John Clark of NBC Sports, Barkley has reportedly gifted each of his linemen a whole truck of Bud Light. Each truck holds over 2,000 beers, most certainly celebrating Barkley’s 2,000+ yard rushing season.

Also for the parade, the trucks were rebranded to say “Bird Light.”

Editor’s Note: Speaking as a lifelong Eagles fan, it should have been trucks of Yuengling. Go Birds 🦅.

Image via John Clark/Twitter

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Founders Brewing

Founders to debut “Devil Spiked” RTD line in March

Founders Brewing has announced they will launch a new line of Ready to Drink hard beverages called Devil Spiked in March 2025.

Founders Devil Spiked, a series of RTD hard drinks in various flavors, is coming in March. According to a 2024 study by International Wine and Spirits Record, the RTD category is up 2% across the largest global markets, including Canada, the US, Mexico, and Brazil.

Devil Spiked launches with four flavors:

Devil Spiked Hard Ginger Beer with Lime – 10%, blend of spicy ginger and fresh lime. 6-packs, March.

Devil Spiked Hard Lemonade—10% ABV. A blend of sweetness and tart lemon. Six packs, 19.2oz Cans, Draft.

Devil Spiked Fruit Punch (Variety Pack Exclusive)—10% ABV. It is a sweet blend of strawberry, pineapple, and orange, plus cherry tartness. Available in the Variety Pack only.

Devil Spiked Blood Orange Soda (Variety Pack Exclusive) – 10% ABV. “Huge dose of vibrant, tangy blood orange. Balanced with a touch of sweetness and a slightly sour finish.” Variety Pack only.

Founders Devil Spiked RTD line ships to all of Founders Brewing’s markets starting March 2025.

Style: Hard Beverage
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft. Varied.
Debut: March, 2025

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater launches “Dive Beer” 4% Lager

SweetWater Dive Beer, a 4% alcohol-by-volume lager, has hit shelves to kick off 2025.

Nothing is better than hitting a seat at the local dive bar—with its weird smells and sticky floors—and grabbing a cheap beer. Your expectations are already low, so the situation always over-delivers. SweetWater Brewing Company wants a piece of this action too, with new Dive Beer.

SweetWater Dive Beer follows the emerging trend of the simple, cheap, no-frills lagers hitting shelves. It’s just 4% ABV, making it easy to “Dive into long nights and short tabs,” according to the brewery.

Dive Beer has already made its mark in blind taste tests, outpacing top competitors in drinkability, refreshment, and overall preference. Its affordable price point ensures that premium taste is within reach for everyone, from craft beer enthusiasts to casual drinkers alike.

SweetWater will feature Dive Beer at their upcoming 28th Anniversary Party on February 22nd.

Look for Dive Beer in 12/16/19.2-ounce cans year-round.

Style: Lager
Hops: Crystal, Hallertau
Malts: Pilsner

Availability: 12/16/19.2oz Cans
Debut: Late-Jan 2025

4% ABV

Image: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Don't Miss This, Wild Heaven Craft Beers

Wild Heaven opens 3rd location (PICS)

Avondale Estates, Georgia based Wild Heaven Craft Beers has opened their third location in the Toco Hills Shopping Center this month.

by Reid Ramsay