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
Rank | Company | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
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 | Berkeley, Shiner | CA, TX |
6 | Bell's Brewery, Inc | Comstock | MI |
7 | CANarchy | Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas | CO, FL, UT, MI, TX |
8 | Artisanal Brewing Ventures | Downingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn | PA, NY, NY |
9 | Stone Brewing | Escondido | CA |
10 | SweetWater Brewing Co | Atlanta | GA |
11 | Deschutes Brewery | Bend | OR |
12 | New Glarus Brewing Co | New Glarus | WI |
13 | Brooklyn Brewery | Brooklyn | NY |
14 | Matt Brewing Co | Utica | NY |
15 | Gordon Biersch Brewing Co | San Jose | CA |
16 | Abita Brewing Co | Covington | LA |
17 | Minhas Craft Brewery | Monroe | WI |
18 | Stevens Point Brewery | Stevens Point | WI |
19 | Great Lakes Brewing Company | Cleveland | OH |
20 | Odell Brewing Co | Fort Collins | CO |
21 | Harpoon Brewery | Boston | MA |
22 | Summit Brewing Co | Saint Paul | MN |
23 | Allagash Brewing Company | Portland | ME |
24 | Troegs Brewing Co | Hershey | PA |
25 | Georgetown Brewing Co | Seattle | WA |
26 | Three Floyds Brewing | Munster | IN |
27 | Athletic Brewing Company | Stratford | CT |
28 | Rhinegeist Brewery | Cincinnati | OH |
29 | Kona Brewing Co | Kailua-Kona | HI |
30 | August Schell Brewing Company | New Ulm | MN |
31 | Alaskan Brewing Co | Juneau | AK |
32 | Narragansett Brewing Co | Pawtucket | RI |
33 | Rogue Ales Brewery | Newport | OR |
34 | Kings & Convicts Brewing/Ballast Point | San Diego | CA |
35 | Flying Dog Brewery | Frederick | MD |
36 | Long Trail Brewing Co | Bridgewater Corners | VT |
37 | Lost Coast Brewery | Eureka | CA |
38 | Revolution Brewing | Chicago | IL |
39 | Surly Brewing Company | Minneapolis | MN |
40 | Ninkasi Brewing Co | Eugene | OR |
41 | Creature Comforts Brewing Co | Athens | GA |
42 | 21st Amendment Brewery | Bay Area | CA |
43 | Maui Brewing Co | Kihei | HI |
44 | Saint Arnold Brewing Co | Houston | TX |
45 | Scofflaw Brewing Co | Atlanta | GA |
46 | Shipyard Brewing Co | Portland | ME |
47 | Left Hand Brewing Company | Longmont | CO |
48 | Modern Times Drinks | San Diego | CA |
49 | Fiddlehead Brewing | Shelburne | VT |
50 | North Coast Brewing Co Inc | Fort Bragg | CA |
Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies
Rank | Company | City | State |
---|---|---|---|
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 | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co | Chico | CA |
11 | New Belgium Brewing Co / Kirin (i) | Fort Collins, San Francisco | CO, 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 | Bell's Brewery, Inc (m) | Comstock | MI |
16 | CANarchy (n) | Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas | CO, FL, UT, MI, TX |
17 | Artisanal Brewing Ventures (o) | Downingtown, Lakewood, Brooklyn | PA, NY, NY |
18 | Stone Brewing | Escondido | CA |
19 | SweetWater Brewing Co (p) | Atlanta | GA |
20 | Deschutes Brewery | Bend | OR |
21 | New Glarus Brewing Co | New Glarus | WI |
22 | Brooklyn Brewery | Brooklyn | NY |
23 | Matt Brewing Co (q) | Utica | NY |
24 | Gordon Biersch Brewing Co | San Jose | CA |
25 | Abita Brewing Co | Covington | LA |
26 | Minhas Craft Brewery (r) | Monroe | WI |
27 | Stevens Point Brewery (s) | Stevens Point | WI |
28 | Great Lakes Brewing Company | Cleveland | OH |
29 | Odell Brewing Co | Fort Collins | CO |
30 | Harpoon Brewery | Boston | MA |
31 | Summit Brewing Co | Saint Paul | MN |
32 | Allagash Brewing Company | Portland | ME |
33 | Troegs Brewing Co | Hershey | PA |
34 | Georgetown Brewing Co | Seattle | WA |
35 | Three Floyds Brewing (t) | Munster | IN |
36 | Athletic Brewing Company | Stratford | CT |
37 | Rhinegeist Brewery | Cincinnati | OH |
38 | Kona Brewing Co | Kailua-Kona | HI |
39 | August Schell Brewing Company (u) | New Ulm | MN |
40 | Alaskan Brewing Co | Juneau | AK |
41 | Narragansett Brewing Co | Pawtucket | RI |
42 | Rogue Ales Brewery | Newport | OR |
43 | Kings & Convicts Brewing/Ballast Point | San Diego | CA |
44 | Flying Dog Brewery | Frederick | MD |
45 | Long Trail Brewing Co | Bridgewater Corners | VT |
46 | Lost Coast Brewery | Eureka | CA |
47 | Anchor Brewing Co / Sapporo USA (v) | Tarrytown, San Francisco | NY, CA |
48 | Revolution Brewing | Chicago | IL |
49 | Surly Brewing Company | Minneapolis | MN |
50 | Ninkasi Brewing Co | Eugene | OR |
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
Contact: Meg Weldon (on behalf of the Brewers Association) 970.963.4873 x212
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.