Brewers Association Releases Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report and Top 50 Producing Craft Brewing Companies for 2021

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Boulder, Colo. — The Brewers Association (BA)—the trade association representing small and independent1 American craft brewers—today released annual production figures for the U.S. craft brewing industry.2 In 2021, small and independent brewers collectively produced 24.8 million barrels of beer and realized 8% growth3, increasing craft’s overall beer market share by volume to 13.1%, up from 12.2% the previous year.

The overall beer market* grew 1% by volume in 2021. Retail dollar value was estimated at $26.9 billion, representing 26.8% market share and 21% growth over 2020. This growth is stronger than volume primarily due to the channel shift back to on-premise, which has a higher average retail value. Craft brewers provided more than 172,643 direct jobs, a 25% increase from 2020.

“Craft brewer sales rebounded in 2021, lifted by the return of draught and at-the-brewery traffic,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “However, the mixed performance across business models and geographies as well as production levels that still lag 2019 suggest that many breweries remain in recovery mode. Add in continuing supply chain and pricing challenges, and 2022 will be a critical year for many brewers.”

The number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2021, reaching an all-time high of 9,118, including 1,886 microbreweries, 3,307 brewpubs, 3,702 taproom breweries, and 223 regional craft breweries. The total operating brewery count was 9,247, up from 9,025 in 2020. Throughout the year, there were 646 new brewery openings and 178 closings. Openings decreased for a second consecutive year, with the continued decline reflecting a more mature market. Ongoing pandemic challenges and rising interest rates were additional factors. The closing rate also declined in 2021, likely helped by a combination of better sales numbers and additional government relief through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which was available to some brewpub and taproom brewers.

“While the boom in breweries of a few years before has certainly slowed, the continued growth in small breweries shows the solid foundation of demand for their businesses and beers,” added Watson.

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 2021, 40 were small and independent craft brewing companies.4

View and download map of top 50 producing craft brewing companies

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
5GambrinusBerkeley, ShinerCA, TX
6Bell's Brewery, IncComstockMI
7CANarchyLongmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, DallasCO, FL, UT, MI, TX
8Artisanal Brewing VenturesDowningtown, Lakewood, BrooklynPA, NY, NY
9Stone BrewingEscondidoCA
10SweetWater Brewing CoAtlantaGA
11Deschutes BreweryBendOR
12New Glarus Brewing CoNew GlarusWI
13Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
14Matt Brewing CoUticaNY
15Gordon Biersch Brewing CoSan JoseCA
16Abita Brewing CoCovingtonLA
17Minhas Craft BreweryMonroeWI
18Stevens Point BreweryStevens PointWI
19Great Lakes Brewing CompanyClevelandOH
20Odell Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
21Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
22Summit Brewing CoSaint PaulMN
23Allagash Brewing CompanyPortlandME
24Troegs Brewing CoHersheyPA
25Georgetown Brewing CoSeattleWA
26Three Floyds BrewingMunsterIN
27Athletic Brewing CompanyStratfordCT
28Rhinegeist BreweryCincinnatiOH
29Kona Brewing CoKailua-KonaHI
30August Schell Brewing CompanyNew UlmMN
31Alaskan Brewing CoJuneauAK
32Narragansett Brewing CoPawtucketRI
33Rogue Ales BreweryNewportOR
34Kings & Convicts Brewing/Ballast PointSan DiegoCA
35Flying Dog BreweryFrederickMD
36Long Trail Brewing CoBridgewater CornersVT
37Lost Coast BreweryEurekaCA
38Revolution BrewingChicagoIL
39Surly Brewing CompanyMinneapolisMN
40Ninkasi Brewing CoEugeneOR
41Creature Comforts Brewing CoAthensGA
4221st Amendment BreweryBay AreaCA
43Maui Brewing CoKiheiHI
44Saint Arnold Brewing CoHoustonTX
45Scofflaw Brewing CoAtlantaGA
46Shipyard Brewing CoPortlandME
47Left Hand Brewing CompanyLongmontCO
48Modern Times DrinksSan DiegoCA
49Fiddlehead BrewingShelburneVT
50North Coast Brewing Co IncFort BraggCA

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies

RankCompanyCityState
1Anheuser-Busch Inc (a)St. LouisMO
2MolsonCoors (b)ChicagoIL
3Constellation (c)ChicagoIL
4Heineken USA (d)White PlainsNY
5Pabst Brewing Co (e)Los AngelesCA
6Diageo (f)NorwalkCT
7D. G. Yuengling and Son IncPottsvillePA
8FIFCO USA (g)RochesterNY
9Boston Beer Co (h)Boston, MiltonMA, DE
10Sierra Nevada Brewing CoChicoCA
11New Belgium Brewing Co / Kirin (i)Fort Collins, San FranciscoCO, CA
12Duvel Moortgat USA (j)Paso Robles, Kansas City, CooperstownCA, MO, NY
13Founders Brewing / Mahou San Miguel (k)Grand Rapids, BoulderMI, CO
14Gambrinus (l)Berkeley, ShinerCA, TX
15Bell's Brewery, Inc (m)ComstockMI
16CANarchy (n)Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, DallasCO, FL, UT, MI, TX
17Artisanal Brewing Ventures (o)Downingtown, Lakewood, BrooklynPA, NY, NY
18Stone BrewingEscondidoCA
19SweetWater Brewing Co (p)AtlantaGA
20Deschutes BreweryBendOR
21New Glarus Brewing CoNew GlarusWI
22Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
23Matt Brewing Co (q)UticaNY
24Gordon Biersch Brewing CoSan JoseCA
25Abita Brewing CoCovingtonLA
26Minhas Craft Brewery (r)MonroeWI
27Stevens Point Brewery (s)Stevens PointWI
28Great Lakes Brewing CompanyClevelandOH
29Odell Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
30Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
31Summit Brewing CoSaint PaulMN
32Allagash Brewing CompanyPortlandME
33Troegs Brewing CoHersheyPA
34Georgetown Brewing CoSeattleWA
35Three Floyds Brewing (t)MunsterIN
36Athletic Brewing CompanyStratfordCT
37Rhinegeist BreweryCincinnatiOH
38Kona Brewing CoKailua-KonaHI
39August Schell Brewing Company (u)New UlmMN
40Alaskan Brewing CoJuneauAK
41Narragansett Brewing CoPawtucketRI
42Rogue Ales BreweryNewportOR
43Kings & Convicts Brewing/Ballast PointSan DiegoCA
44Flying Dog BreweryFrederickMD
45Long Trail Brewing CoBridgewater CornersVT
46Lost Coast BreweryEurekaCA
47Anchor Brewing Co / Sapporo USA (v)Tarrytown, San FranciscoNY, CA
48Revolution BrewingChicagoIL
49Surly Brewing CompanyMinneapolisMN
50Ninkasi Brewing CoEugeneOR

Note: Numbers are preliminary. For additional insights from Bart Watson, visit Insights & Analysis on the Brewers Association website. The full 2021 industry analysis will be published in the May/June 2022 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 increased 2%.

1 An 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 the rules of alternating proprietorships. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Brewer: Has a TTB Brewer’s Notice and makes beer.

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

3 Volume by craft brewers represents total taxable production.

4 Figure based on companies that met the craft brewer definition for all or part of 2021.

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

ContactMeg Weldon (on behalf of the Brewers Association) 970.963.4873 x212


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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.