Boulder, Colo. – Brewers Association (BA) – Small and Independent Business Association1 American Craftsmen-Today has released the annual production figures for the American Craft Brewery industry.2 By 2021, small and independent breweries will jointly produce 24.8 million barrels of beer, a growth of 8%.3The overall beer market share of handicrafts increased to 13.1% from 12.2% in the previous year.
The overall beer market * grew by 1% in 2021. The retail dollar is valued at $ 26.9 billion, representing 26.8% market share and 21% growth by 2020. This growth is stronger than the level primarily due to the change of channel- campus, which has a higher average retail value. Craft manufacturers provided 172,643 direct jobs, an increase of 25% from 2020.
“Craft Brewer sales are set to grow again in 2021, boosted by draft and liquor traffic,” said Bart Watson, chief economist at the Browers Association. “However, business models and geographically mixed performance and still lagging production levels in 2019 suggest that many breweries are in recovery mode. Add to that the continuing supply chain and pricing challenges, and 2022 will be an important year for many liquor manufacturers.
The number of Kraft distilleries operating in 2021 continued to rise to 9,118, including 1,886 micro breweries, 3,307 breweries, 3,702 dayroom breweries and 223 regional craft breweries. The total number of distilleries was 9,247, up from 9,025 in 2020. Throughout the year, there were 646 new liquor store openings and 178 closures. For the second year in a row, openings are down, and the continued decline represents a more mature market. Continuing epidemic challenges and rising interest rates were additional factors. The final rate is also set to fall in 2021, with better sales numbers and additional government relief through the Restaurant Revival Fund, which has been available to some Proof and Dayroom liquor manufacturers.
“While the boom in distilleries has certainly slowed down a few years ago, the continued growth of smaller breweries shows a solid foundation for the demand for their businesses and beers,” Watson said.
In addition, the Brewers Association also publishes an annual list of the top 50 manufacturing craft breweries and overall breweries in the United States, based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 total breweries by 2021, 40 are small and independent craft breweries.4
View and download a map of the top 50 manufacturing craft brewing companies
Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies
| Ranking | Company | City | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digi Yuenling and Sun Inc | Potsville | PA |
| 2 | Boston Beer Co. | Boston, Milton | Done |
| 3 | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chicco | That |
| 4 | Duvel Moortgat USA | Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown | CA, MO, NY |
| 5 | Cambrinus | Berkeley, Shiner | CA, TX |
| 6 | Bells Brewery, Inc. | Comstock | ME |
| 7 | Government | Longmond, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas | CO, FL, UT, MI, TX |
| 8 | Artisan brewing efforts | Downtown, Lockwood, Brooklyn | PA, NY, NY |
| 9 | Stone distillation | Escondido | That |
| 10 | Sweet Water Brewing Co. | Atlanta | GA |
| 11 | Deschutes Liquor | Curve | Or |
| 12 | New Clarus Broving Co. | New Clarus | WI |
| 13 | Brooklyn Bar | Brooklyn | New |
| 14 | Mad Browing Co. | Utika | New |
| 15 | Gordon Pearsh Brewing Co. | San Jose | That |
| 16 | Abhita Browing Co. | Covington | The |
| 17 | My craft distillery | Monroe | WI |
| 18 | Stevens Point Brewery | Stevens Point | WI |
| 19 | Great Lakes Brewing Company | Cleveland | Oh |
| 20 | Hotel Broving Co. | Ford Collins | CO |
| 21 | Harpoon Brewery | Boston | M.A. |
| 22 | Summit Broving Co. | St. Paul | M.N. |
| 23 | Alakash Brewing Company | Portland | ME |
| 24 | Trox Broving Co. | Hershey | PA |
| 25 | Georgetown Broing Co. | In Seattle | WA |
| 26 | Boiling three Floyds | Munster | IN |
| 27 | Athletic Brewing Company | Stratford | C.D. |
| 28 | Rhenizist alcohol | Cincinnati | Oh |
| 29 | Kona Broing Co. | Kailua-Kona | Hello |
| 30 | August Shell Brewing Company | New Ulm | M.N. |
| 31 | Alaskan Brooking Co. | Juno | IF |
| 32 | Narganset Broking Co. | Pawtucket | RI |
| 33 | Rogue Ales Liquor | Newport | Or |
| 34 | Kings & Convict’s Brewing / Ballast Point | San Diego | That |
| 35 | Flying dog liquor | Frederick | M.D. |
| 36 | Long Trail Broving Co. | Bridge water corners | VT |
| 37 | Lost Coast Brewery | Eureka | That |
| 38 | Revolution brewing | Chicago | The |
| 39 | Shirley Brewing Company | Minneapolis | M.N. |
| 40 | Ninkashi Broking Co. | Eugene | Or |
| 41 | Creature Comforts Broking Co. | Athens | GA |
| 42 | 21st Amendment distillery | Bay area | That |
| 43 | Maui Broing Co. | Kihoi | Hello |
| 44 | St. Arnold Browing Co. | Houston | TX |
| 45 | Scofflaw Brewing Co | Atlanta | GA |
| 46 | Shipyard Brooking Co. | Portland | ME |
| 47 | Left-handed brewing company | Longmond | CO |
| 48 | Modern Times Drinks | San Diego | That |
| 49 | Fiddlehead brewing | Shelburn | VT |
| 50 | North Coast Browning Co Inc. | Ford Brock | That |
Top 50 Overall Liquor Making Companies
| Ranking | Company | City | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anheuser-Busch Inc (a) | St. Louis | MO |
| 2 | Molson Coors (B) | Chicago | The |
| 3 | Galaxy (c) | Chicago | The |
| 4 | Heineken United States (d) | White Plain | New |
| 5 | BABST BROWNING CO (E) | Angels | That |
| 6 | Diageo (F) | Norwalk | C.D. |
| 7 | Digi Yuenling and Sun Inc | Potsville | PA |
| 8 | FIFCO USA (g) | Rochester | New |
| 9 | Boston Beer Co (h) | Boston, Milton | Done |
| 10 | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Chicco | That |
| 11 | New Belgium Brewing Co / Green (i) | Fort Collins, San Francisco | CO, CA |
| 12 | Duvel Moortgat USA (j) | Paso Robles, Kansas City, Cooperstown | CA, MO, NY |
| 13 | Founders Browning / Maha Chan Miguel (Q) | Grand Rapids, Boulder | MI, CO |
| 14 | Cambrinus (L) | Berkeley, Shiner | CA, TX |
| 15 | Bell’s Brewery, Inc (m) | Comstock | ME |
| 16 | CANarchy (n) | Longmond, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, Dallas | CO, FL, UT, MI, TX |
| 17 | Artisan brewing efforts (o) | Downtown, Lockwood, Brooklyn | PA, NY, NY |
| 18 | Stone distillation | Escondido | That |
| 19 | Sweet Water Brewing Co (b) | Atlanta | GA |
| 20 | Deschutes Liquor | Curve | Or |
| 21 | New Clarus Broving Co. | New Clarus | WI |
| 22 | Brooklyn Bar | Brooklyn | New |
| 23 | Matt Brewing Co (q) | Utika | New |
| 24 | Gordon Pearsh Brewing Co. | San Jose | That |
| 25 | Abhita Browing Co. | Covington | The |
| 26 | Minhas Craft Brewery (R) | Monroe | WI |
| 27 | Stevens Point Brewery (s) | Stevens Point | WI |
| 28 | Great Lakes Brewing Company | Cleveland | Oh |
| 29 | Hotel Broving Co. | Ford Collins | CO |
| 30 | Harpoon Brewery | Boston | M.A. |
| 31 | Summit Broving Co. | St. Paul | M.N. |
| 32 | Alakash Brewing Company | Portland | ME |
| 33 | Trox Broving Co. | Hershey | PA |
| 34 | Georgetown Broing Co. | In Seattle | WA |
| 35 | Three Floats Browning (D) | Munster | IN |
| 36 | Athletic Brewing Company | Stratford | C.D. |
| 37 | Rhenizist alcohol | Cincinnati | Oh |
| 38 | Kona Broing Co. | Kailua-Kona | Hello |
| 39 | August Shell Brewing Company (u) | New Ulm | M.N. |
| 40 | Alaskan Brooking Co. | Juno | IF |
| 41 | Narganset Broking Co. | Pawtucket | RI |
| 42 | Rogue Ales Liquor | Newport | Or |
| 43 | Kings & Convict’s Brewing / Ballast Point | San Diego | That |
| 44 | Flying dog liquor | Frederick | M.D. |
| 45 | Long Trail Broving Co. | Bridge water corners | VT |
| 46 | Lost Coast Brewery | Eureka | That |
| 47 | Anchor Browing Co / Sapporo USA (V) | Daridown, San Francisco | NY, CA |
| 48 | Revolution brewing | Chicago | The |
| 49 | Shirley Brewing Company | Minneapolis | M.N. |
| 50 | Ninkashi Broking Co. | Eugene | Or |
Note: Numbers initial. For additional insights by Bart Watson, visit the Intelligence and Analysis website at Browers Association. The full 2021 industry analysis will be published in the May / June 2022 issue New BrewerHighlighting regional trends and production of individual distilleries.
* FMBs / FSBs are not included. Along with them, total taxable beer products increased by 2%.
1 An American Kraft Brewer is a small and independent brewer. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (about 3% of annual U.S. sales). Beer is produced by the rules of alternative ownership. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft liquor manufacturer is owned or controlled by a member of the liquor industry (or equivalent economic interest). Brewer: TTB Brewer has notice and makes beer.
2 Complete statistics reflect the dynamic Kraft Brower data specified by the Kraft Brower definition. Growth numbers are given on a comparable basis. See full instructions.
3 The size of the craft brewers represents the total taxable output.
4 Image based on companies that have fulfilled the Kraft Brewer definition for the whole or part of 2021.
See the list of brands included under Companies in the Overall Browsing category
contact: McWeldon (on behalf of the Brewers Association) 970.963.4873 x212
About the Liquor Manufacturers Association
The Brewers’ Association (BA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the community of small and independent American breweries, their brewers and brewers. BA represents more than 5,600 US distilleries. The BA’s Independent Craft Brewer Seal is a widely accepted symbol that distinguishes beers from small and independent craft brewers. BA hosts events including the World Beer Cup⁇Great American Beer Festival⁇Craft Brewers Conference⁇ & BroExpo USA⁇SAVOR⁇: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew Con⁇National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week⁇. Publishes BA New Brewer⁇ Magazine, and Browers Publications⁇ Beer is a leading publisher of brewing literature in the United States, and beer lovers are invited to learn more about the changing world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com⁇ And Homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association⁇ And Free Brew Guru⁇ Mobile application. Follow us on Facebook Twitter And Instagram.
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