Summary
Overall U.S. beer volume sales were down 2% in 2019, whereas craft brewer sales continued to grow at a rate of 4% by volume, reaching 13.6% of the U.S. beer market by volume. Craft production grew the most for taprooms.
Retail dollar sales of craft increased 6%, up to $29.3 billion, and now account for more than 25% of the $116.0 billion U.S. beer market.
These statistics use the craft brewer definition of small and independent brewer, as well as six craft beer industry market segments as defined by the Brewers Association. More up-to-date statistics and analysis can be found in the Insights & Analysis section of the website.
Sales Data
Production Data
Historical Craft Brewery Production by Category
1 barrel = 31 US gallons
Historical U.S. Brewery Count
Slide the bar at the top of the graph to see number of breweries from 1873 to present day.
U.S. Craft Brewery Count by Category
Recent U.S. Brewery Count
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2018 to 2019 % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craft | 4,803 | 5,713 | 6,661 | 7,594 | 8,275 | 9.1% |
| Regional Craft Breweries | 178 | 186 | 202 | 230 | 240 | 4.3% |
| Microbreweries | 2,684 | 3,319 | 3,956 | 4,558 | 2,058 | Not comparable |
| Taprooms | 2,966 | Not comparable | ||||
| Brewpubs | 1,941 | 2,208 | 2,503 | 2,806 | 3,011 | 7.3% |
| Large/Non-Craft | 44 | 67 | 106 | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Total U.S. Breweries | 4,847 | 5,780 | 6,767 | 7,698 | 8,386 | 8.9% |
Brewpub Openings and Closings
Micro Openings and Closings*
* Starting in 2019, Taprooms are their own separate category, so for comparable numbers, add 2019 taproom numbers.
Taproom Openings and Closings*
Contact Us With Questions About Industry Statistics
Full Report
Comprehensive reports and analysis of the national beer sales and production data are available in the May/June issue of The New Brewer, The Journal of the Brewers Association, released in mid-May each year. The issue can be purchased in the Brewers Association online store.
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