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Posted in Beer News, Headlines

Brewers Association Releases Top 50 Craft Breweries by Volume for 2022

BA Top 50 Breweries 2022

The Brewers Association, the trade association representing America’s craft brewers, has released its annual beer production report for 2022. Each year, this data is the best available when assessing the real “state of beer and craft beer” in America.

Definition of “craft.”

The Brewers Association’s definition of a “craft brewery” has changed slightly over the years. The biggest change to the definition was in 2011 when the production cap was changed from 2,000 to 6,000. Then in 2018, the BA stated the majority of a craft brewer’s production doesn’t have to come from beer. The latest definition includes an ownership statement – less than 25% of a great brewery is owned or controlled by an economic interest that is not itself a craft brewer. (For example, Monster Energy. More on that later.)

For years, you would see movement in and out of the Top 50 Craft, based on production volume shift, or a craft brewer departing the list after being purchased by an entity like Anheuser Busch. Lately, the list is seeing the rise of brewing “collectives” like CANarchy and Artisanal Brewing Ventures.

Rise of the “Collectives”

The craft brewing collectives are becoming pretty common as craft brewing is changing. A few years ago Victory Brewing and Southern Tier dropped from the top 50 to be found under the Artisanal Brewing Ventures header, along with Sixpoint. CANarchy was formed in 2015, and purchased by Monster Energy in 2022, which includes Cigar City, Deep Ellum, Oskar Blues, Perrin, and Utah Brewers Cooperative.

The newer collectives and new to the BA Top 50 include Tilray Beer Brands, which is a pharmaceutical/cannabis company that owns SweetWater Brewing, Montauk, Green Flash, and Alpine Beer. In July 2022, Maui Brewing purchased Modern Times and formed Craft Ohana.

No Top Surprises

Yuengling still holds the number one spot in craft brewing and has since at least 2014, followed by Boston Beer Co., whose volume includes Alchemy & Science, Angel City, Dogfish Head, Concrete Beach, and Coney Island brands. Sierra Nevada speaks for itself at 3, followed by Duvel Moortgat (Firestone Walk, Boulevard, Ommegang) and Gambrinus (Shiner & Trumer brands).

Most in the United States

When considering the total U.S. beer volume with craft included, Anheuser Busch will most likely always have the top spot, unless they find another business-damaging PR move. Number one in craft volume Yuengling ranks 7th in overall U.S. volume, with Boston Beer at 9th and Sierra Nevada at 10th.

Top 50 Craft Breweries by Volume – 2022

1 D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc Pottsville PA
2 Boston Beer Co Boston, Milton MA, DE
3 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co Chico CA
4 Duvel Moortgat USA Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown CA, MO, NY
5 Gambrinus Company Shiner, Berkeley TX, CA
6 Artisanal Brewing Ventures Dowingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn PA, NY, NY
7 Stone Brewing* Escondido CA
8 CANarchy Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas CO, FL, UT, MI, TX
9 Tilray Beer Brands Atlanta, Montauk, San Diego GA, NY, CA
10 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
11 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
12 New Glarus Brewing Co New Glarus WI
13 Athletic Brewing Company Milford CT
14 Matt Brewing Co Utica NY
15 Minhas Craft Brewery Monroe WI
16 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
17 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co San Jose CA
18 Great Lakes Brewing Company Cleveland OH
19 Stevens Point Brewery Stevens Point WI
20 Allagash Brewing Company Portland ME
21 Georgetown Brewing Co Seattle WA
22 Odell Brewing Co Fort Collins CO
23 Rhinegeist Brewery Cincinnati OH
24 Three Floyds Brewing Munster IN
25 Troegs Brewing Co Hershey PA
26 Summit Brewing Co Saint Paul MN
27 Narragansett Brewing Co Providence RI
28 Craft Ohana Kihei, San Diego HI, CA
29 August Schell Brewing Company New Ulm MN
30 Kings & Convicts Brewing San Diego CA
31 Pittsburgh Brewing Co Pittsburgh PA
32 Alaskan Brewing Co Juneau AK
33 Kona Brewing Co Kailua-Kona HI
34 Flying Dog Brewery Frederick MD
35 Abita Brewing Co Covington LA
36 Fiddlehead Brewing Shelburne VT
37 Creature Comforts Brewing Co Athens GA
38 BrewDog Brewing Company Canal Winchester OH
39 Revolution Brewing Chicago IL
40 Lost Coast Brewery Eureka CA
41 Rogue Ales Brewery Newport OR
42 Surly Brewing Company Minneapolis MN
43 Ninkasi Brewing Co Eugene OR
44 Saint Arnold Brewing Co Houston TX
45 IndieBrew Atlanta, Nashville GA, TN
46 Shipyard Brewing Co Portland ME
47 Jack’s Abby Brewing Framingham MA
48 North Coast Brewing Co Fort Bragg CA
49 Pizza Port Brewing Company Carlsbad CA
50 Made by the Water New Orleans, Apalachicola, Asheville, Charleston LA, FL, NC, SC

Top 50 Breweries by Volume Overall – 2022

1 Anheuser-Busch Inc (a) St. Louis MO
2 MolsonCoors (b) Chicago IL
3 Constellation (c) Chicago IL
4 Heineken USA (d) White Plains NY
5 Pabst Brewing Co (e) Los Angeles CA
6 Diageo (f) Norwalk CT
7 D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc Pottsville PA
8 FIFCO USA (g) Rochester NY
9 Boston Beer Co (h) Boston, Milton MA, DE
10 Kirin-Lion / New Belgium Brewing (i) Fort Collins, Comstock CO, MI
11 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co Chico CA
12 Duvel Moortgat USA (j) Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown CA, MO, NY
13 Founders Brewing / Mahou San Miguel (k) Grand Rapids, Boulder MI, CO
14 Gambrinus (l) Berkeley, Shiner CA, TX
15 Artisanal Brewing Ventures (m) Downingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn PA, NY, NY
16 Stone Brewing (n) Escondido CA
17 CANarchy (o) Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas CO, FL, UT, MI, TX
18 Tilray Beer Brands (p) Atlanta, Montauk, San Diego GA, NY, CA
19 Sapporo USA (q) San Francisco CA
20 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
21 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
22 New Glarus Brewing Co New Glarus WI
23 Athletic Brewing Company Stratford CT
24 Matt Brewing Co (r) Utica NY
25 Minhas Craft Brewery (s) Monroe WI
26 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
27 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co San Jose CA
28 Great Lakes Brewing Company Cleveland OH
29 Stevens Point Brewery (t) Stevens Point WI
30 Allagash Brewing Company Portland ME
31 Georgetown Brewing Co Seattle WA
32 Odell Brewing Co Fort Collins CO
33 Rhinegeist Brewery Cincinnati OH
34 Three Floyds Brewing (u) Munster IN
35 Troegs Brewing Co Hershey PA
36 Summit Brewing Co Saint Paul MN
37 Narragansett Brewing Co Pawtucket RI
38 Craft Ohana (v) Kihei, San Diego HI/CA
39 August Schell Brewing Company (w) New Ulm MN
40 Kings & Convicts Brewing/Ballast Point San Diego CA
41 Pittsburgh Brewing (x) Pittsburgh PA
42 Alaskan Brewing Co Juneau AK
43 Kona Brewing Co (y) Kailua-Kona HI
44 Flying Dog Brewery Frederick MD
45 Abita Brewing Co Covington LA
46 Fiddlehead Brewing  Shelburne VT
47 Creature Comforts Athens GA
48 BrewDog Brewing Co Canal Winchester OH
49 Revolution Brewing Chicago IL
50 Lost Coast Brewing Co Minneapolis MN
Posted in Aquisitions, Full Circle Brewing, Headlines, Sonoma Cider, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

Full Circle Brewing Acquires Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

Full Circle Acquires Speakeasy

Full Circle Brewing has merged with San Francisco-based Speakeasy Ales and Lagers. Together the two, along with Sonoma Cider Full Circle acquired in 2020, combine to be the largest and most distributed black-owned brewery in the United States.

In 2017, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers ceased operations citing “outstanding debt & difficulty securing capital investment.” By May of that year, Speakeasy announced a sale to Hunters Point Brewery, a company founded by former beverage distributor Ces Butner.

Butner will remain on the advisory board going forward as the brands grow together. “I am excited for the passing of the baton to the next generation of Black Entrepreneurs in the craft beer space. I will continue to sit on the advisory board, and look forward to seeing the Speakeasy brand grow and evolve,” Butner says.

All three brands will be run under the leadership of Full Circle Brewing’s CEO Arthur Moye. Altogether, the group has an annual production capacity of 20,000 barrels annually.

“We are excited to apply what we learned from revitalizing Full Circle and increasing sales by 5,000%, to San Francisco’s longest running Independent Brewery. We plan to breathe new life into current brands, and expand its range of products”

Arthur Moye, Full Circle CEO

The three entities will continue distribution through their current networks. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Posted in Anheuser-Busch, Headlines

Bud Light makes headlines with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney

Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney

Anheuser-Busch might be the sworn enemy of craft beer, but this week they managed to ruffle the feathers of some of their own drinking base.

Cans to Dylan, Go Sports.

Dylan Mulvaney, an actress and transgender rights activist, has gained popularity over the last year as she detailed her gender transition in daily videos to her 10 million followers on TikTok. In a video this week, Mulvaney, dressed as Audrey Hepburn’s character in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” announced that Bud Light has released cans with her image on them. “This month I celebrated my 365 days of womanhood and Bud Light sent me possibly the best gift ever — a can with my face on it.” Additionally, Mulvaney was giving away $15,000 dollars as a part of a March Madness sweepstakes, which she admits- had no idea March Madness was related to basketball or sports.

Without context, many viewers of the video assumed Mulvaney was the new face of Bud Light, prompting condemnation from some on social media, and boycotts. A simple social media search on this topic yields users dumping cans of Bud Light, while supporters of Bud Light’s move calling would be boycotters as “bigots.”

Singer Kid Rock’s stance on the issue was not so subtle.

It was a gift, Budweiser says.

In a general statement to news outlets “Budweiser works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics. From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney.” The cans were created for Mulvaney celebrating her first 365 days of being a girl, and not publically for sale.

Not the first time.

This isn’t Budweiser’s first connection with the LGBTQ+ community. According to the brewery, the Budweiser brand has contributed more than $13 million dollars to various LGBTQ+ organizations over the past 20 years.

Posted in Headlines, New Releases

White Claw Vodka hits select markets

White Claw Vodka

White Claw, the leader in the hard seltzer category, wants to make sure your summer is a boozy blur. White Claw Vodka is officially headed to shelves.

White Claw boasts this launch as “ushering in a new era in America Vodka,” with a secret creative process. So what makes this vodka special? Something White Claw calls “triple wave filtering” which applies the pressure of a 30-foot ocean wave to the vodka. Apparently, this has a smoothing effect on the liquid, as the waves would to rocks or shells found on the beach. Before bottling, the vodka is filtered through activated carbon from charred coconut shells. The spirits range from 30% to 40% alcohol by volume.

The result is a minimal yet complex combination of aromas and sensations in the mouth and nose — subtle notes of citrus at first, then grain, then a velvety finish. Along with the creation of a new process, White Claw also came up with a new way to describe the premium vodka: it’s the “smooovest.”

Like the company’s hard seltzers, White Claw Vodka will be available in a variety of flavors – including Mango, Black Cherry, and Pineapple.

White Claw Vodka + Soda

Alongside this spirits addition, the company is launching White Claw Vodka + Soda in ready-to-drink cans. Each 100-calorie 12-ounce can is made with the namesake spirit, available in Pineapple, Peach, Wild Cherry and Watermelon flavors.

White Claw Vodka and Vodka + Soda will be available in select North American markets starting in March 2023.

Posted in Beer News, Headlines, New Releases, NoDa Brewing

Cheerwine is now officially a beer, thanks to Noda Brewing

NoDa Brewing Company and Cheerwine have debuted a new beer collaboration this week – Noda Cheerwine Ale.

Folks in the southeast are already familiar with Cheerwine, a cherry-flavored soda invented in Salisbury, North Carolina in 1917 during a sugar shortage. For the last 106 years, Cheerwine has gained a cult following, all while still being run by the same family. Cheerwine has been integrated into everything from barbeque sauces to cocktails, and starting this week – beer.

NoDa Cheerwine Ale, a year-round wheat ale not only carries the Cheerwine name but also uses Cheerwine in the brewing process.

“Cheerwine Ale can be enjoyed year-round – it’s an approachable craft beer perfect for all occasions. We’re excited to bring fans the perfect marriage of these two North Carolina staples.”

Jacob Virgil, director of strategic development for NoDa Brewing Company

NoDa Cheerwine Ale ships this week to select bars and retailers across North Carolina, and South Carolina in the coming weeks.

Style: Wheat Ale (w/ Cheerwine)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft. Year-Round

Debut: Mid-February, 2023

5.2% ABV, 18 IBUs

Posted in Wild Heaven Craft Beers, Headlines

Wild Heaven & Bulliet Bourbon release 5th collaboration

Wild Heaven 5 Points can

Wild Heaven Beer and Bulliet Bourbon release 5 Points Doppelbock, the fifth installment of their ongoing barrel-aged series.

Recapping the project, Bulliet Bourbon was always stingy with their barrels in the past. As Tom Bulleit told Beer Street Journal during an Atlanta launch event more than a decade ago, all the distillery’s barrels were sent to Scotland for whisky aging. At the time he seemed almost confused at the notion that America’s breweries would want empty bourbon barrels. That would all change in 2020.

Bulliet did a little quiet research, looking for breweries with not just a robust barrel program, but breweries that really cared about barrel aging. Georgia-based Wild Heaven stood out to the Bulliet team and ultimately the Beer and Bourbon Series was born.

The idea behind this project is simple. Wild Heaven creates a beer and Bulliet overnights freshly emptied (wet) barrels from the distillery 437 Miles South to Avondale Estates, Georgia. Fill the barrels, and wait for the magic to happen. During one of the worst years in human existence, 2020, 95 Shilling Scotch ale kicked off the series. The alcohol by volume in that beer could never have been high enough for us considering the times.

RELATED: WILD HEAVEN’S BULLEIT COLLAB WAS WORTH THE WAIT

As fall descends upon Atlanta, the latest emergence is 5 Points – a German-style Dopplebock, aged in Bulleit Rye barrels. Let’s get straight to the point, this beer- much like this series- just keeps getting better and better. A Doppelbock may be a rarer style in the craft brewing world, but Wild Heaven’s head brewer Josh Franks has created a perfect reminder of how damn good they are. “I think it really turned out quite well,” Franks tells us. You’ll never hear the guy brag, but the smile on his face after a few sips of 5 Points tells us everything.

The fresh barrels from Bulleit really make all the difference world here. Vanilla flavors from the rye bourbon-soaked oak in 5 Points are fresh and bold, almost to the point of decadence. The creamy toffee and raisin flavors notes the dopplebock round out this cool weather sipper. More proof that this duo knows what they are doing.

Wild Heaven 5 Points Dopplebock debuts this week in 16-ounce cans and draft. Wild Heaven and Bulleit are already working on their next project.

Style: Dopplebock (Barrel Aged. Rye Bourbon.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.

Debut: October 2022

Posted in Maui Brewing Company, Headlines, Modern Times Beer

Maui Brewing acquires Modern Times

To the backup-bidder goes the spoils. Hawaii’s Maui Brewing acquires Modern Times

The fate of Modern Times has been up in the air for months now. In February 2022, the brewery announced the closing of four of its 8 taprooms, citing financial fallout from the global pandemic. Then in March, Modern Times was placed in receivership by lead lender California Bank and Trust. 

Maui Brewing was favored as the potential buyer in June, until “Brewery X,” an Anaheim-based brewery entered the bidding. 70 bids and 3 hours later, Brewery X won the auction, agreeing to pay $20 million for Modern Times. Additionally, Brewery X stated they would have the deal fully funded and close within two weeks. 

Except, that didn’t happen. Brewery X missed the closure and funding deadline, losing a $500,000 dollar deposit on the transaction. Maui acquired Modern Times for $15.3 million. 

Co-Founder Garrett Marrero was surprised when Mauil Brewing was back in play for Modern Times.”Given the surprising outcome of the auction, Maui Brewing Company was prudent in its decision to move forward, taking appropriate measures to evaluate and solidify details prior to the announcement for the sake of both the Modern Times and Maui Brewing teams,” says Marrero in his brewery’s official announcement. 

Currently, Maui Brewing produces 90,000 barrels (2.7 million gallons) of beer annually. Combined with Modern Times, that output increases to 125,000 barrels of beer annually – a production capacity that still will not allow Maui to be sold in all 50 states. 

The deal is expected to close in late October 2022.