Brewers Association Lists Top 50 Breweries of 2015

By Chilled Magazine

The Brewers Association (BA), the not-for-profit trade group representing small and independent craft brewers, has released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on beer sales volume.

Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 43 were craft brewing companies[1].

“The top U.S. brewers continue to drive demand, growth, innovation and exponential interest in beers from small and independent brewers. With a historic record number of breweries in U.S., the top brewers continue to open new markets and expose beer drinkers to a variety of fuller-flavored styles and offerings.”
– Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association

Top 50 U.S. Craft Brewing Companies – Based on 2015 beer sales volume*

  1. D. G. Yuengling and Son, Inc. • Pottsville, PA
  2. Boston Beer Co. • Boston, MA
  3. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. • Chico, CA
  4. New Belgium Brewing Co. • Fort Collins, CO
  5. Gambrinus • San Antonio, TX
  6. Lagunitas Brewing Co.* • Petaluma, CA
  7. Bell’s Brewery, Inc. • Kalamazoo, MI
  8. Deschutes Brewery • Bend, OR
  9. Minhas Craft Brewery • Monroe, WI
  10. Stone Brewing Co. • Escondido, CA
  11. Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits* • San Diego, CA
  12. Brooklyn Brewery • Brooklyn, NY
  13. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. • Paso Robles, CA
  14. Oskar Blues Brewing Holding Co. • Longmont, CO
  15. Duvel Moortgat USA • Kansas City & Cooperstown, MO/NY
  16. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery • Milton, DE
  17. Matt Brewing Co. • Utica, NY
  18. SweetWater Brewing Co. • Atlanta, GA
  19. Harpoon Brewery • Boston, MA
  20. New Glarus Brewing Co. • New Glarus, WI
  21. Great Lakes Brewing Co. • Cleveland, OH
  22. Alaskan Brewing Co. • Juneau, AK
  23. Abita Brewing Co. • Abita Springs, LA
  24. Anchor Brewing Co. • San Francisco, CA
  25. Stevens Point Brewery Co. • Stevens Point, WI
  26. Victory Brewing Co. • Downingtown, PA
  27. August Schell Brewing Co. • New Ulm, MN
  28. Long Trail Brewing Co. • Bridgewater Corners, VT
  29. Summit Brewing Co. • Saint Paul, MN
  30. Shipyard Brewing Co. • Portland, ME
  31. Full Sail Brewing Co. • Hood River, OR
  32. Odell Brewing Co. • Fort Collins, CO
  33. Southern Tier Brewing Co. • Lakewood, NY
  34. Rogue Ales Brewery • Newport, OR
  35. 21st Amendment Brewery • Bay Area, CA
  36. Ninkasi Brewing Co. • Eugene, OR
  37. Flying Dog Brewery • Frederick, MD
  38. Narragansett Brewing Co. • Providence, RI
  39. Left Hand Brewing Company • Longmont, CO
  40. Uinta Brewing Co. • Salt Lake City, UT
  41. Green Flash Brewing Co. • San Diego, CA
  42. Allagash Brewing Co. • Portland, ME
  43. Lost Coast Brewery • Eureka, CA
  44. Bear Republic Brewing Co. • Cloverdale, CA
  45. Troegs Brewing Co. • Hershey, PA
  46. Karl Strauss Brewing Co. • San Diego, CA
  47. Breckenridge Brewery* • Littleton, CO
  48. North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. • Fort Bragg, CA
  49. Four Peaks Brewing Co* • Tempe, AZ
  50. Revolution Brewing Co. • Chicago, IL

*Craft volume pro-rated in 2015 or will be pro-rated/exiting craft brewer data set in 2016

 

Top 50 U.S. Overall Brewing Companies[2] – Based on 2015 beer sales volume

  1. Anheuser-Busch, Inc. (a) • Saint Louis, MO
  2. MillerCoors (b) • Chicago, IL
  3. Pabst Brewing Co. (c) • Los Angeles, CA
  4. D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc. • Pottsville, PA
  5. Boston Beer Co. (d) • Boston, MA
  6. North American Breweries (e) • Rochester, NY
  7. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. • Chico, CA
  8. New Belgium Brewing Co. • Fort Collins, CO
  9. Craft Brew Alliance (f) • Portland, OR
  10. Lagunitas Brewing Co. (g) • Petaluma, CA
  11. Gambrinus (h) • San Antonio, TX
  12. Bell’s Brewery, Inc. (i) • Kalamazoo, MI
  13. Deschutes Brewery • Bend, OR
  14. Minhas Craft Brewery (j) • Monroe, WI
  15. Stone Brewing Co. • Escondido, CA
  16. Sleeman Brewing Co. (k) • LaCrosse, WI
  17. Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits (l) • San Diego, CA
  18. Brooklyn Brewery • Brooklyn, NY
  19. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (m) • Paso Robles, CA
  20. Founders Brewing Co. • Grand Rapids, MI
  21. Oskar Blues Brewing Holding Co. (n) • Longmont, CO
  22. Duvel Moortgat USA (o) • Kansas City, MO
  23. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery • Milton, DE
  24. Matt Brewing Co. (p) • Utica, NY
  25. SweetWater Brewing Co. • Atlanta, GA
  26. Harpoon Brewery • Boston, MA
  27. New Glarus Brewing Co. • New Glarus, WI
  28. Great Lakes Brewing Co. • Cleveland, OH
  29. Alaskan Brewing Co. • Juneau, AK
  30. Abita Brewing Co. • Abita Springs, LA
  31. Anchor Brewing Co. • San Francisco, CA
  32. Stevens Point Brewery Co. (q) • Stevens Point, WI
  33. Victory Brewing Co. • Downingtown, PA
  34. August Schell Brewing Co. (r) • New Ulm, MN
  35. Long Trail Brewing Co. (s) • Bridgewater Corners, VT
  36. Summit Brewing Co. • Saint Paul, MN
  37. Shipyard Brewing Co. (t) • Portland, ME
  38. Full Sail Brewing Co. • Hood River, OR
  39. Odell Brewing Co. • Fort Collins, CO
  40. Southern Tier Brewing Co. • Lakewood, NY
  41. Rogue Ales Brewery • Newport, OR
  42. 21st Amendment Brewery • Bay Area, CA
  43. Ninkasi Brewing Co. • Eugene, OR
  44. Flying Dog Brewery • Frederick, MD
  45. Narragansett Brewing Co. • Providence, RI
  46. Pittsburgh Brewing Co. (u) • Pittsburgh, PA
  47. Left Hand Brewing Company • Longmont, CO
  48. Uinta Brewing Co. • Salt Lake City, UT
  49. Green Flash Brewing Co. • San Diego, CA
  50. Allagash Brewing Co. • Portland, ME

The Association’s full 2015 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual breweries, will be published in the May/June issue ofThe New Brewer, available in May 2016. For additional statistics, see the Brewers Association’s annual craft brewing industry growth report for 2015.

Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association. You can also follow on Twitter.


[1]Figure based on companies that met craft brewer definition for all or part of 2015. An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

 

[2]Top 50 Overall U.S. Brewing Companies notes: (a) includes 10 Barrel, Bass, Beck’s, Blue Point, Bud Light, Budweiser, Busch, Golden Road (partial year) Goose Island, Elysian (partial year) Landshark, Michelob, Rolling Rock, Shock Top and Wild Series brands. Does not include partially owned Coastal, Craft Brew Alliance, Fordham, Kona, Old Dominion, Omission, Red Hook and Widmer Brothers brands; (b) includes A.C. Golden, Batch 19, Blue Moon, Colorado Native, Coors, Keystone, Killian’s, Leinenkugel’s, Miller, Saint Archer (partial year), and Tenth & Blake brands; (c) includes Pabst, Schlitz, Small Town, and 28+ other brand families; (d) includes Alchemy & Science and Sam Adams brands. Does not include Twisted Tea or Angry Orchard brands; (e) includes Dundee, Genesee, Labatt Lime, Magic Hat and Pyramid brands; (f) includes Kona, Omission, Red Hook and Widmer Brothers brands; (g) full year volume; craft rank reflects pro-rated volume due to sale of stake to Heineken (h) includes BridgePort, Shiner and Trumer brands; (i) includes Bell’s and Upper Hand brands; (j) includes Mountain Crest and 10 other brand families as well as export volume; (k) includes Sleeman and Sapporo brands as well as export volume; (l) volume will be pro-rated in 2016 data set due to sale to Constellation Brands; (m) will be part of control group with Duvel Moortgat USA starting in 2016; (n) includes Utah Brewers Cooperative and Perrin Brewing Company brands, will include Cigar City brands starting in 2016; (o) includes Boulevard and Ommegang brands; (p) includes Flying Bison, Saranac and Utica Club brands; (q) includes James Page, Point and Whole Hog brands; (r) includes Grain Belt and Schell’s brands; (s) includes Long Trail, Otter Creek, The Shed and Wolaver’s brands; (t) includes Casco Bay, Sea Dog and Shipyard brands; (u) includes Iron City and 17 other brand families.

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