The 50 Largest Craft Breweries in the U.S.

Is your favorite on the list?
by The Drink Nation on Apr 18, 2012 in Beer
The 50 Largest Craft Breweries in the U.S.

It’s a heady time for craft brewing in America. In the past 15 years the market share for craft beer has risen from 1% to nearly 6%, and the country now supports over 2,000 different breweries.

This week, the Brewers Association completed their tally of 2011 beer sales and published a list of the 50 largest craft breweries, by sales volume. Boston Beer Co. maintains its impressive seat atop the pack, with Samuel Adams distributed in all 50 states (it ranks fifth overall, even when big macrobrew companies like Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors are included).

The group includes a wide variety of companies that are spread over 25 different states. California’s Sierra Nevada is number two on the list, followed by New Belgium (based in Colorado but soon to build a new brewery in North Carolina). Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR ranks fifth, Delaware’s Dogfish Head rings in at number 12. Flying Dog, now in Frederick, MD is number 26, follwed immediately by Downingtown, PA’s Victory Brewing at position 27.

By our rough estimation, the West Coast is home to the highest number of the breweries on this list, with California claiming a dozen within its borders alone. Around 13 on the list are East Coast operations, and approximately another 15 are heartland businesses. Overall, it’s exciting that great beer is being appreciated by so many people.

Did your favorite brewery make the list? Check it out below, and let us know in the comments!
 

Rank Brewing Company City State
1 Boston Beer Co. Boston MA
2 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Chico CA
3 New Belgium Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
4 The Gambrinus Company San Antonio TX
5 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
6 Matt Brewing Co. Utica NY
7 Bell's Brewery, Inc. Galesburg MI
8 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
9 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Petaluma CA
10 Boulevard Brewing Co. Kansas City MO
11 Stone Brewing Company Escondido CA
12 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Milton DE
13 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
14 Alaskan Brewing & Bottling Co. Juneau AK
15 Long Trail Brewing Co. Burlington VT
16 Shipyard Brewing Co. Portland ME
17 Abita Brewing Co. Abita Springs LA
18 Great Lakes Brewing Co. Cleveland OH
19 New Glarus Brewing Co. New Glarus WI
20 Full Sail Brewing Co. Hood River OR
21 Summit Brewing Co. St. Paul MN
22 Anchor Brewing Co. San Francisco CA
23 Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles CA
24 Sweetwater Brewing Co. Atlanta GA
25 Rogue Ales Brewery Newport OR
26 Flying Dog Brewery Frederick MD
27 Victory Brewing Co. Downingtown PA
28 CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants Chattanooga/Louisville TN/CO
29 Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont CO
30 Odell Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
31 Stevens Point Brewery Co. Stevens Point WI
32 Ninkasi Brewing Co. Eugene OR
33 BJ's Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. Huntington Beach CA
34 Blue Point Brewing Co. Patchogue NY
35 Bear Republic Brewing Co. Cloverdale CA
36 Lost Coast Brewery Cafe Eureka CA
37 Big Sky Brewing Co. Missoula MT
38 North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. Fort Bragg CA
39 Saint Louis Brewery, Inc./Schlafly Bottleworks St. Louis MO
40 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. San Jose CA
41 Breckenridge Brewery Denver CO
42 Founders Brewing Co. Grand Rapids MI
43 Saint Arnold Brewing Co. Houston TX
44 Karl Strauss Brewing Co. San Diego CA
45 Real Ale Brewing Co. Blanco TX
46 Mac and Jack's Brewery Inc. Redmond WA
47 Smuttynose Brewing Co. Portsmouth NH
48 Utah Brewers Cooperative Salt Lake City UT
49 Left Hand Brewing Co. Longmont CO
t.50 Anderson Valley Brewing Co. Boonville CA
t.50 Four Peaks Brewing Co. Tempe AZ

 Photo via Victory Brewing Company on Facebook

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