USA: Majority of Top 50 Brewers are Craft Brewers

While mainstream lagers have been in decline, steady growth by craft brewers in recent years has shaped the country's top 50 brewers list into a roll call of craft beer leaders. In 2005, the craft beer segment grew by 9 % on top of 7 % growth in 2004, USA Brewers Association announced on April 3.

"Craft brewers deliver the flavors that beer drinkers increasingly desire," said Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association. "As a result more than 30 of the top 50 U.S. brewers are craft brewers."

Beers brewed by top 50 producers include well-known brands from Budweiser, Miller and Coors and nationally distributed craft beers like Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Other examples of craft brands from top 50 brewers include Anchor Steam, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Boulevard Pale Ale and Brooklyn Lager.

"More than 1,400 breweries operate in the U.S. today, said Ray Daniels, Director of Craft Beer Marketing for the Brewers Association. "When you look at the top 4 percent of all brewers -- this top 50 list -- craft brewers constitute the majority."

Brewers Association figures show that domestic craft beer sales volume grew 9 percent in 2005, faster than any other segment of the beverage alcohol business, including wine, spirits and imported beer. (See http://beertown.com/pr/pdf_Word/pdf/2005stats.pdf.)

"The craft beer segment has grown steadily over the past ten years and in 2005 it showed its biggest increase since 1996," said Gatza.

More than half of the top 50 brewers can be found in just five states. California and Wisconsin each host seven top breweries while Oregon has five and Colorado and Pennsylvania each host four top producers for a total of 27 in these five states.

The craft beer segment includes more than 1300 breweries who produce an all-malt flagship beer. It includes brewpubs (brewery/restaurant), microbreweries (less than 15,000 barrels per year) and specialty brewers (greater than 15,000 barrels per year). The Brewers Association has tabulated industry growth data for these breweries annually since 1985.

Top 10 craft brewers in the United States include Boston Beer Co (MA), Sierra Nevada Brewing Co (CA), New Belgium Brewing Co (CO), Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co (WI), F.X. Matt Brewing Co. (NY), Widmer Brothers Brewing Co (OR), Redhook Ale Brewery (WA), Pyramid Alehouse/Breweries Inc. (WA), Deschutes Brewery (OR), and Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co (AK).

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .