USA: Brewers Association reports 4% drop in craft beer output 2024, number of breweries declines for the first time since 2005

The Brewers Association, the trade association representing America’s small and independent breweries, released on April 15 its annual craft brewing industry production report for 2024. As part of that report, the Association also ranks America’s largest craft breweries.

The Association defines a craft brewery as a brewery with annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales), with less than 25 percent of the brewery owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

The Brewers Association reported that craft breweries in America produced 4.0% less beer in 2024 than in 2023. That reduction to 23.1 million barrels brewed in 2024 is indicative of recent headwinds the industry has faced as consumers are drinking less and watching budgets. However, with price adjustments, the retail dollar value of beer from craft brewers grew 3% in 2024, to $28.9 billion.

Craft breweries’ share of the overall beer market by volume remained flat at 13.3%, but that overall beer market declined 1.2% by volume in 2024. Beer from craft brewers is generally more expensive than beer made by large, multinational brewing companies, so craft beer accounted for 24.7% of total U.S. beer sales by dollar.

Despite that reduction in sales volume, as craft breweries shift to hospitality-focused business models—selling beer in taprooms and restaurants owned by the breweries, rather than through other bars, restaurants and retail channels—employment in the craft brewing sector actually grew in 2024, to 197,112 full-time equivalent people. That is a 3.0% increase in employment over 2023.

For the first time since 2005, the overall number of operating craft breweries in America declined. While there were 9,747 breweries in 2023, there were 9,612 in 2024, a decline of 135 breweries or 1.4%.

“Right now, craft breweries are feeling some pressures of economic reality, both on the cost side and the demand side,” said Matt Gacioch, staff economist with the Brewers Association by telephone. “Costs are going up, consumers are evolving and have more options than ever before in the beverage alcohol space.”

Still, compared to the Brewers Association’s 2023 list of 50 largest craft breweries, Gacioch noted that eight new breweries joined the list. “Brewers are still able to find niches and gain customers in these challenging times,” said Gacioch.

Gacioch also noted that many craft breweries were expanding their product offerings beyond beer, producing alcoholic seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails and other products. Sales of these products are not included in the Brewers Association numbers.

The 50 largest craft breweries in America are:

1. D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc (Pottsville,PA)
2. Boston Beer Co (Boston, MA)
3. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co (Chico, CA)
4. Tilray Beer Brands (New York, NY)
5. Duvel Moortgat USA (Cooperstown, NY)
6. Gambrinus (Shiner, TX)
7. Matt Brewing Co (Utica, NY)
8. Athletic Brewing Company (Milford, CT)
9. Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
10. Monster Brewing (Longmont, CO)
11. Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR)
12. New Glarus Brewing Co (New Glarus, WI)
13. Barrel One Collective (Boston, MA)
14. Georgetown Brewing Co (Seattle, WA)
15. Gordon Biersch Brewing Co (San Jose, CA)
16. Rhinegeist Brewery (Cincinnati, OH)
17. Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times) (Kihei, HI)
18. Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland, OH)
19. Narragansett Brewing Co (Pawtucket, RI)
20. Troegs Brewing Co (Hershey, PA)
21. Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, ME)
22. August Schell Brewing Company (New Ulm, MN)
23. Fiddlehead Brewing (Shelburne, VT)
24. Stevens Point Brewery (Stevens Point, WI)
25. Pittsburgh Brewing Co (Pittsburgh, PA)
26. Three Floyds Brewing (Munster, IN)
27. Odell Brewing Co (Fort Collins, CO)
28. Great Frontier Holdings (Eugene, OR)
29. Abita Brewing Co (Covington, LA)
30. BrewDog Brewing Co (Canal Winchester, OH)
31. Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (Athens, GA)
32. Hendler Family Brewing Company (Framingham, MA)
33. Alaskan Brewing Co. (Juneau, AK)
34. Summit Brewing Co (St. Paul, MN)
35. Saint Arnold Brewing Co (Houston, TX)
36. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL)
37. Kona Brewing Hawaii (Kailua-Kona, HI)
38. Pizza Port (Carlsbad, CA)
39. Surly Brewing Company (Minneapolis, MN)
40. pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River, OR)
41. Fremont Brewing (Seattle, WA)
42. The Florida Brewery (Auburndale, FL)
43. BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (Huntington Beach, CA)
44. Russian River Brewing Co. (Santa Rosa, CA)
45. Shipyard Brewing Co (Portland, ME)
46. New Trail Brewing Company (Williamsport, PA)
47. Zero Gravity Craft Brewery (Burlington, VT)
48. Fat Head’s Brewery (Middleburg Heights, OH)
49. Drake's Brewing Co (San Leandro, CA)
50. Rogue Ales Brewery (Newport, OR)

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