Topic Archives: Brewers Association

Posted in Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Beer News

The Top Breweries Of 2011

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 Chattanooga/Louisville 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) Chattanooga/Louisivlle 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 brewersales 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.

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News
Posted in Beer News

Total U.S. Brewery Count Breaks 2,000

I knew any day now this would become official.  There are now more than 2,000 breweries operating in the United States.   According to data released by the Brewer’s Association today – the craft industry saw a 13% rise in overall volume.  Thats a total barrel increase of 1.3 million barrels (40, 300, 000 gallons of beer.)

Perspective.  The small beer industry (less than 6 million barrels annually) only represented 5.68% of the volume of the United States beer market in 2011 (up from 4.97 in 2010.)   That’s an estimated $8.7 billion alone from the small brewery side of the industry.  Increased retail sales  among the craft sector account for just 9.1% of the entire United States beer industry, whose revenue tops $95.5 million dollars annually.

Small brewers employed approximately 103,585 workers in the U.S in 2011.

Note:  All numbers are preliminary. The Association will publish its full 2011 industry analysis in the May/June 2012 issue of The New Brewer, highlighting regional trends and sales by individual breweries. Additionally, a more extensive analysis will be released during the Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego, Calif., from May 2-5.

[PressRelease]

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

2012 Brewers Association Guidelines Adds “Indigenous” Category

The Brewers Association has released the 2012 Beer Style Guidelines which gets updated every year.  The guidelines currently describe 140 styles of beer and are used  the Great American Beer Festival® and the World Beer Cup & more.

For this year, a new beer style has been added: the Indigenous Beer Category.  The description:

 “at least one regional combination of ingredients and/or techniques must be unique and differentiated from ingredients and/or techniques commonly used by brewers throughout the world…Examples of indigenous beers might include current day versions of highly regional and/or historic styles which are not represented elsewhere in these guidelines, such as Finnish-style sahti, South American chicha, African sorghum based beers, and others.” For competitions, brewers will provide 100-word descriptions of why their entry is relevant to the category, to aid judges in their evaluation.

Beers like Dogfish Head’s Urkontinent and Pangea come to mind.  You  might even be able to find Odell Brewing’s new Footprint Ale in the category too.  The full Press Release is available here.  The 35 page outline can be downloaded from the Brewers Association site, or  by right clicking the guidelines link.  [BA 2012 Style Guidelines]

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

U.S. Senate Creates Small Brewers Caucus

The Brewers Association announced that the U.S. Senate has created a Small Brewers Caucus.  It’s a bi-partisan effort by Senators Max Baucus & Mike Crapo.  The caucus will act as an advocate for the 1,700+ breweries in the U.S., and help raise awareness of the booming buisness.

Press Release

BOULDER, CO — The Brewers Association (BA) shared the news today that the Senate Small Brewers Caucus has been established. The formation of the Caucus was led by Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who support the role of America’s small and independent brewers as an engine of economic growth in the country.

In a Dear Colleague letter, Senators Baucus and Crapo noted, “In recent years, the more than 1,700 craft brewers all across America have met growing consumer demand for their products by brewing flavorful and innovative beers which they encourage Americans to enjoy in a responsible manner. These small and independent brewers…generate more than $3 billion in wages and benefits, and pay more than $2.3 billion in business, personal and consumption taxes.”

Mirroring the House Small Brewers Caucus, formed in 2007, the Senate Small Brewers Caucus provides a forum for members of the Senate and their staffs to discuss the issues important to small brewers while exploring what lawmakers can do to strengthen the growth and role of these small businesses in local economies across the country.

The caucus will also provide opportunities for Senators and staff to learn about the science and art of brewing beer, and the unique cultural and economic contributions made by small brewers to their communities.

Currently, the 1,700+ small American breweries account for about five percent of all the beer enjoyed in the United States and 50 percent of brewery jobs–-totaling some 100,000 good-paying part- and full-time positions across the country.

“Montana’s small brewers don’t just make great beer out of the best Montana grains–-they also support good-paying Montana jobs,” said Senator Baucus. “I’m so proud to create the bipartisan Senate Small Brewers Caucus–-because as the state with the second highest number of craft brewers per capita in the country, Montana small brewers need a voice in Congress who’ll keep looking out for them.” Montana boasts a strong brewing community, which generates and pays taxes on approximately $20 million of revenue, according to the Montana Brewers Association.

“As a major producer of barley, wheat and hops, Idaho has a growing role in the craft brewing business,” Senator Crapo said. “While advocating for the excise tax relief bill, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many of Idaho’s small craft brewers and heard firsthand from local entrepreneurs about the opportunities for economic growth and job creation that the industry can provide. This caucus will provide Senators with a better understanding of all aspects of small brewing and the positive impact it has on their communities.” Senator Crapo, along with Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), introduced this session’s Senate bill S. 534, which would recalibrate excise taxes on America’s small brewers. Joining Senators Kerry and Crapo were 17 of their Senate colleagues who signed on as original co-sponsors.

“Small craft brewers are growing, creating jobs and contributing in small and big ways to the recovery of the American economy,” said Charlie Papazian, president, Brewers Association. “The bipartisan establishment of the Senate Small Brewers Caucus reflects the collaborative, grassroots community spirit in which the nation’s small brewers contribute to their local communities.”

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News

The Top 50

The Brewer’s Association has released the top brewing companies by sales volume for 2010.  There are 2 categories. Top 50 in the “craft” side of the business, and top 50 overall. <Brewers Association>

The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group that tabulates production statistics for U.S. breweries, released its annual lists reporting the top 50 brewing companies in the country, based on 2010 beer sales volume. The two lists are the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies, comprising small and independent craft brewers,¹ and the Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies. Thirty-six of the top 50 brewing companies are small and independent craft brewing companies.

“At more than 1,700, the number of breweries in the U.S. is higher than any time since the late 1800s,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “Beer lovers’ appreciation for American craft brewers and their craft beers continue to grow.”

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies
(Based on 2010 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 Spoetzl Brewery* Shiner TX
5 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
6 Independent Brewers United  (IBU)* Burlington VT
7 Matt Brewing Co. Utica NY
8 Bell’s Brewery, Inc. Galesburg MI
9 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
10 Boulevard Brewing Co. Kansas City MO
11 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Milton DE
12 Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co. Juneau AK
13 Long Trail Brewing Co. Bridgewater Corners VT
14 Stone Brewing Co. Escondido CA
15 Abita Brewing Co. Abita Springs LA
16 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
17 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Petaluma CA
18 Full Sail Brewing Co. Hood River OR
19 Shipyard Brewing Co. Portland ME
20 Summit Brewing Co. St. Paul MN
21 New Glarus Brewing Co. New Glarus WI
22 Great Lakes Brewing Co. Cleveland OH
23 Anchor Brewing Co. San Francisco CA
24 Kona Brewery LLC* Kailua-Kona HI
25 Rogue Ales Newport OR
26 Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles CA
27 Sweetwater Brewing Co. Atlanta GA
28 Flying Dog Brewery Frederick MD
29 Victory Brewing Co. Downingtown PA
30 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. San Jose CA
31 BJ’s Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. Huntington Beach CA
32 Stevens Point Brewery Co. Stevens Point WI
33 Odell Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
34 BridgePort Brewing Co.* Portland OR
35 Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurants Louisville CO
36 Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont CO
37 Blue Point Brewing Co. Patchogue NY
38 Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe Eureka CA
39 Big Sky Brewing Co. Missoula MT
40 North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. Fort Bragg CA
41 Mac and Jack’s Brewery Redmond WA
42 The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. Maplewood MO
43 Bear Republic Brewing Co. Cloverdale CA
44 Karl Strauss Brewing Co. San Diego CA
45 Breckenridge Brewery Denver CO
46 Utah Brewers Cooperative Salt Lake City UT
47 Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants Chattanooga TN
48 Saint Arnold Brewing Co. Houston TX
49 Real Ale Brewing Co. Blanco TX
50 Ninkasi Brewing Co. Eugene OR

*Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies notes: Spoetzl is part of Gambrinus Company; IBU January-August only prior to sale to North American Breweries (NAB); Kona January-September only prior to sale to Craft Brewers Alliance (CBA); BridgePort is part of Gambrinus Company.

Top 50 Brewing Companies
(Based on 2010 beer sales volume)

 

Rank Brewing Company City State
1 Anheuser-Busch Inc. St. Louis MO
2 MillerCoors Brewing Co. Chicago IL
3 Pabst Woodbridge IL
4 D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc. Pottsville PA
5 Boston Beer Co. Boston MA
6 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico CA
7 New Belgium Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
8 North American Breweries* Rochester NY
9 Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc.* Portland OR
10 Spoetzl Brewery* Shiner TX
11 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
12 Independent Brewers United  (IBU)* Burlington VT
13 Matt Brewing Co. Utica NY
14 Minhas Craft Brewery Monroe WI
15 Bell’s Brewery, Inc. Galesburg MI
16 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
17 Boulevard Brewing Co. Kansas City MO
18 Goose Island Beer Co. Chicago IL
19 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Milton DE
20 Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co. Juneau AK
21 Long Trail Brewing Co. Bridgewater Corners VT
22 August Schell Brewing Co. New Ulm MN
23 Stone Brewing Co. Escondido CA
24 Abita Brewing Co. Abita Springs LA
25 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
26 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Petaluma CA
27 Full Sail Brewing Co. Hood River OR
28 Shipyard Brewing Co. Portland ME
29 Summit Brewing Co. St Paul MN
30 New Glarus Brewing Co. New Glarus WI
31 Great Lakes Brewing Co. Cleveland OH
32 Anchor Brewing Co. San Francisco CA
33 Iron City Brewing Co. Pittsburgh PA
34 Kona Brewery LLC* Kailua-Kona HI
35 Rogue Ales Newport OR
36 Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles CA
37 Winery Exchange Inc. / World Brews Novato CA
38 Sweetwater Brewing Co. Atlanta GA
39 Mendocino Brewing Co. Ukiah CA
40 Flying Dog Brewery Frederick MD
41 Victory Brewing Co. Downingtown PA
42 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. San Jose CA
43 BJ’s Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. Huntington Beach CA
44 Stevens Point Brewery Co. Stevens Point WI
45 Odell Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
46 BridgePort Brewing Co.* Portland OR
47 Cold Spring Brewing Co. Cold Spring MN
48 Rock Bottom Brewery Louisville CO
49 Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont CO
50 Straub Brewery Saint Marys PA

 

*Top 50 Brewing Companies notes: NAB includes IBU August-December; CBA includes Kona October-December; Spoetzl is part of Gambrinus Company; and IBU is January-August only (sale to NAB); Kona is January-September only (sale to CBA); BridgePort is part of Gambrinus Company. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for the Top 50 rankings.

The Association’s full 2010 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 18.

For additional statistics, see the craft brewing statistics, and 2010 craft brewersales numbers press release.

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.

Contact

Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director, [email protected], 303.447.0816 x113

Barbara Fusco, Sales & Marketing Director, [email protected], 303.447.0816 x152

 

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, Videos

VID: Fox News- Craft Beer “Bubbling”

Fox New Business was onsite at Brooklyn Brewery last week discussing the craft beer business. Few talking points to throw out – Beer sales in the United States down 3% overall. Craft beer (Microbreweries) up 9%. Employ 100,000 people full or part time. 1,700 active breweries in the U.S. 500 in planning according to The Brewers Association.

Full Article —> Fox New Business

by Reid Ramsay