Brewers Association Releases Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report  and Top 50 Producing Craft Brewing Companies for 2023

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Jobs, on-premise sales, and the number of operating craft breweries continue to grow

Boulder, Colo. The Brewers Association (BA)—the trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers1 —today released annual production figures for the U.S. craft brewing industry.2 

The number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2023, reaching an all-time high of 9,761, including 2,092 microbreweries, 3,502 brewpubs, 3,910 taproom breweries, and 257 regional craft breweries. The total U.S. operating brewery count was 9,906, up from 9,824 in 2022. Throughout the year, there were 495 new brewery openings and 418 closings. Openings decreased for a second consecutive year, with the trend reflecting a more mature market. The closing rate increased in 2023 but continued to remain relatively low, at approximately 4%.

Driven by the growing number of breweries and a continued shift to hospitality-focused business models, craft brewers directly employed 191,421 people in 2023, a 1.1% increase from 2022.

“2023 was another competitive and challenging year for small and independent brewers,” said Bart Watson, vice president of strategy and chief economist of the Brewers Association. “Nevertheless, even as growth has downshifted, small brewers have proved quite resilient, as seen in the increase in number of breweries, relatively low closing rates, and gains in onsite sales and jobs.”

Collectively, small and independent brewers produced 23.4 million barrels of beer in 2023, a decline of 1.0% from 20223, though craft’s overall beer market share by volume grew to 13.3%, up from 13.1% in 2022 as craft’s declines were smaller than overall beer volume losses.

The overall beer market* shrank 5.1% by volume in 2023. Retail dollar value was estimated at $28.9 billion, representing a 24.7% market share and 3% growth over a comparable value in 2022. Sales growth was stronger than volume primarily due to pricing but also due to slightly stronger onsite sales growth versus distribution.

“As always, the beverage alcohol market and consumer demand continue to evolve,” added Watson. ”Many brewers are accordingly updating their operations to match those changes, focusing on their business models, go-to-market strategies, and brand strategies to help their businesses match those shifts.”

In addition, the Brewers Association also released its annual list of the top 50 producing craft brewing companies and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies in 2023, 40 were small and independent craft brewing companies.4

“While distribution is as competitive as ever, we continue to see success stories and pockets of growth across the top 50 list,” said Watson. “Even in an era of slow growth, the strongest brands still resonate with beer drinkers, regardless of company size or location.”

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies

RankCompanyCityState
1D. G. Yuengling and Son IncPottsvillePA
2Boston Beer CoBoston, MiltonMA, DE
3Sierra Nevada Brewing CoChicoCA
4Duvel Moortgat USAPaso Robles, Kansas City, CooperstownCA, MO, NY
5GambrinusShiner, BerkeleyTX, CA
6Tilray Beer BrandsAtlanta, Montauk, San Diego, Bend, Seattle, Portland, Breckenridge, PatchogueGA, NY, CA, OR, WA, OR, CO, NY
7Artisanal Brewing VenturesDowningtown, Lakewood, BrooklynPA, NY, NY
8Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
9Monster BrewingLongmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, DallasCO, FL, UT, MI, TX
10Athletic Brewing CompanyMilfordCT
11New Glarus Brewing CoNew GlarusWI
12Deschutes BreweryBendOR
13Matt Brewing CoUticaNY
14Gordon Biersch Brewing CoSan JoseCA
15Allagash Brewing CompanyPortlandME
16Georgetown Brewing CoSeattleWA
17Great Lakes Brewing CompanyClevelandOH
18Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
19Stevens Point BreweryStevens PointWI
20Three Floyds BrewingMunsterIN
21Pittsburgh Brewing CoPittsburghPA
22Rhinegeist BreweryCincinnatiOH
23Narragansett Brewing CoProvidenceRI
24August Schell Brewing CompanyNew UlmMN
25Odell Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
26Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times)Kihei, San DiegoHI, CA
27Troegs Brewing CoHersheyPA
28Fiddlehead BrewingShelburneVT
29Minhas Craft BreweryMonroeWI
30Kings & Convicts BrewingSan DiegoCA
31Alaskan Brewing Co.JuneauAK
32Kona Brewing HawaiiKailua-KonaHI
33Abita Brewing CoCovingtonLA
34Creature Comforts Brewing Co.AthensGA
35Great Frontier HoldingsEugene, PortlandOR, OR
36BrewDog Brewing CoCanal WinchesterOH
37Summit Brewing CoSt. PaulMN
38Jack's Abby Brewing, LLCFraminghamMA
39Revolution BrewingChicagoIL
40Montucky Cold SnacksBozemanMT
41Saint Arnold Brewing CoHoustonTX
42Lost Coast BreweryEurekaCA
43Surly Brewing CompanyMinneapolisMN
44Rogue Ales BreweryNewportOR
45United States Beverage LLCSalt Lake City, ElmsfordUT, NY
46Shipyard Brewing CoPortlandME
47Pizza PortCarlsbadCA
48Coronado Brewing CoCoronadoCA
49Drake's Brewing CoSan LeandroCA
50IndieBrewAtlanta, NashvilleGA, TN

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies5

RankCompanyCityState
1Anheuser-Busch IncSt. LouisMO
2MolsonCoorsChicagoIL
3ConstellationChicagoIL
4Heineken USAWhite PlainsNY
5Pabst Brewing CoLos AngelesCA
6DiageoNorwalkCT
7D. G. Yuengling and Son IncPottsvillePA
8FIFCO USARochesterNY
9Kirin-LionFort Collins, ComstockCO, MI
10Boston Beer CoBoston, MiltonMA, DE
11Sierra Nevada Brewing CoChicoCA
12Sapporo-Stone BrewingEscondidoCA
13Duvel Moortgat USAPaso Robles, Kansas City, CooperstownCA, MO, NY
14GambrinusShiner, BerkeleyTX, CA
15Mahou San MiguelGrand Rapids, BoulderMI, CO
16Tilray Beer BrandsAtlanta, Montauk, San Diego, Bend, Seattle, Portland, Breckenridge, PatchogueGA, NY, CA, OR, WA, OR, CO, NY
17Artisanal Brewing VenturesDowningtown, Lakewood, BrooklynPA, NY, NY
18Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
19Monster BrewingLongmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, DallasCO, FL, UT, MI, TX
20Athletic Brewing CompanyMilfordCT
21New Glarus Brewing CoNew GlarusWI
22Deschutes BreweryBendOR
23Matt Brewing CoUticaNY
24Gordon Biersch Brewing CoSan JoseCA
25Allagash Brewing CompanyPortlandME
26Georgetown Brewing CoSeattleWA
27Great Lakes Brewing CompanyClevelandOH
28Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
29Stevens Point BreweryStevens PointWI
30Three Floyds BrewingMunsterIN
31Pittsburgh Brewing CoPittsburghPA
32Rhinegeist BreweryCincinnatiOH
33Narragansett Brewing CoPawtucketRI
34August Schell Brewing CompanyNew UlmMN
35Odell Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
36Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times)Kihei, San DiegoHI, CA
37Troegs Brewing CoHersheyPA
38Fiddlehead BrewingShelburneVT
39Minhas Craft BreweryMonroeWI
40Kings & Convicts BrewingSan DiegoCA
41Alaskan Brewing Co.JuneauAK
42Kona Brewing HawaiiKailua-KonaHI
43Abita Brewing CoCovingtonLA
44Creature Comforts Brewing Co.AthensGA
45Great Frontier HoldingsEugene, PortlandOR, OR
46BrewDog Brewing CoCanal WinchesterOH
47Summit Brewing CoSt. PaulMN
48Jack's Abby Brewing, LLCFraminghamMA
49Revolution BrewingChicagoIL
50Montucky Cold SnacksBozemanMT

Note: Numbers are preliminary. For additional insights from Bart Watson, visit Insights & Analysis on the Brewers Association website. The full 2023 industry analysis will be published in the May/June 2024 issue of The New Brewer, highlighting regional trends and production by individual breweries. 

* Does not include FMBs/FSBs. With those included, total taxed-as-beer products decreased 5%. 

1An American craft brewer is a small and independent brewer. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3% of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Brewer: Holds a Brewer’s Notice issued by the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau, or its successor, or control the intellectual property for one or more brands of beer, has that brand or brands brewed for it in the United States, and have as its primary business purpose the resale of the brand or brands it controls.

2Absolute figures reflect the dynamic craft brewer data set as specified by the craft brewer definition. Growth numbers are presented on a comparable basis.

3Volume by craft brewers represents total taxable production.

4Figure based on companies that met the craft brewer definition for all or part of 2023. 

5Updated 4/17/2024.

View a list of brands included under the companies in the overall brewing category.

Media contact: Meg Papanastassiou (on behalf of the Brewers Association) 970-963-4873 x1212

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About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers, and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,600-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The Brewers Association organizes events, including the World Beer Cup®Great American Beer Festival®Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®National Homebrew Competition, and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® and Zymurgy® magazines, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the American Homebrewers Association®. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 13672 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

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