Brewers Association Releases 2009 Top 50 Breweries Lists

Boulder, CO • April 14, 2010—The Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group that tabulates production statistics for U.S. breweries, released its annual lists reporting the top 50 brewing companies in the country, based on 2009 beer sales volume. The two lists are the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies, comprising small and independent craft brewers,¹ and the Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies.  The Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies list contains 76 percent craft brewing companies.

“Beer lovers continue to find great value and enjoyment in fuller flavored craft beers,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “Americans have an increasing appreciation of craft beers, and the growing number of brewers behind them.”

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies
(Based on 2009 beer sales volume)

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	Spoetzl Brewery	Shiner	TX
5	Pyramid Breweries Inc.	Seattle	WA
6	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
7	Matt Brewing Co.	Utica	NY
8	Magic Hat Brewing Co.	Burlington	VT
9	Boulevard Brewing Co.	Kansas City	MO
10	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
11	Alaskan Brewing Co.	Juneau	AK
12	Bell’s Brewery, Inc.	Galesburg	MI
13	Kona Brewing Co.	Kailua-Kona	HI
14	Full Sail Brewing Co.	Hood River	OR
15	Stone Brewing Co.	Escondido	CA
16	Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Milton	DE
17	The Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
18	Abita Brewing Co.	Abita Springs	LA
19	Summit Brewing Co.	Saint Paul	MN
20	Anchor Brewing Co.	San Francisco	CA
21	Shipyard Brewery	Portland	ME
22	New Glarus Brewing Co.	New Glarus	WI
23	Great Lakes Brewing Co.	Cleveland	OH
24	Rogue Ales/Oregon Brewing Co.	Newport	OR
25	Long Trail Brewing Co.	Bridgewater Corners	VT
26	The Lagunitas Brewing Co.	Petaluma	CA
27	Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.	San Jose	CA
28	SweetWater Brewing Co.	Atlanta	GA
29	Firestone Walker Brewing Co.	Paso Robles	CA
30	Victory Brewing Co.	Downingtown	PA
31	Flying Dog Brewing Co.	Frederick	MD
32	BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery	Huntington Beach	CA
33	Odell Brewing Co.	Fort Collins	CO
34	Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurants	Louisville	CO
35	BridgePort Brewing Co.	Portland	OR
36	Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe	Eureka	CA
37	Big Sky Brewing Co.	Missoula	MT
38	Stevens Point Brewing Co.	Stevens Point	WI
39	Mac and Jack’s Brewery	Redmond	WA
40	Karl Strauss Brewing Co.	San Diego	CA
41	The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc.	St. Louis	MO
42	Blue Point Brewing Co.	Patchogue	NY
43	Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants	Chattanooga	TN
44	Oskar Blues Brewery	Longmont	CO
45	North Coast Brewing Co.	Fort Bragg	CA
46	Breckenridge Brewery	Denver	CO
47	Utah Brewers Cooperative	Salt Lake City	UT
48	Saint Arnold Brewing Co.	Houston	TX
49	Boulder Beer Co.	Boulder	CO
50	Bear Republic Brewing Co.	Cloverdale	CA

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies

(Based on 2009 beer sales volume)

Rank	Brewing Company	City	State
1	Anheuser-Busch InBev	St. Louis	MO
2	MillerCoors Brewing Co.	Chicago	IL
3	Pabst Brewing Co.	Woodridge	IL
4	D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc.	Pottsville	PA
5	Boston Beer Co.	Boston	MA
6	Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.	Chico	CA
7	New Belgium Brewing Co.	Fort Collins	CO
8	Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc.	Portland	OR
9	Spoetzl Brewery (part of Gambrinus)	Shiner	TX
10	High Falls Brewing Co.	Rochester	NY
11	Minhas Craft Brewery	Monroe	WI
12	Pyramid Breweries (part of IBU)	Seattle	WA
13	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
14	F.X. Matt Brewing Co.	Utica	NY
15	Magic Hat Brewing Co. (part of IBU)	Burlington	VT
16	Boulevard Brewing Co.	Kansas City	MO
17	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
18	Alaskan Brewing Co.	Juneau	AK
19	Bell’s Brewery, Inc.	Galesburg	MI
20	Goose Island Beer Co.	Chicago	IL
21	Kona Brewing Co.	Kailua-Kona	HI
22	Full Sail Brewing Co.	Hood River	OR
23	Stone Brewing Co.	Escondido	CA
24	Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Milton	DE
25	Iron City Brewing Co.	Pittsburgh	PA
26	August Schell Brewing Co.	New Ulm	MN
27	The Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
28	Abita Brewing Co., L.L.C.	Abita Springs	LA
29	Summit Brewing Co.	Saint Paul	MN
30	Anchor Brewing Co.	San Francisco	CA
31	Shipyard Brewing Co.	Portland	ME
32	New Glarus Brewing Co.	New Glarus	WI
33	Great Lakes Brewing Co.	Cleveland	OH
34	Rogue Ales/Oregon Brewing Co.	Newport	OR
35	Long Trail Brewing Co.	Burlington	VT
36	The Lagunitas Brewing Co.	Petaluma	CA
37	Mendocino Brewing Co.	Ukiah	CA
38	Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.	San Jose	CA
39	SweetWater Brewing Co.	Atlanta	GA
40	Firestone Walker Brewing Co.	Paso Robles	CA
41	Victory Brewing Co.	Downingtown	PA
42	Flying Dog Brewing Co.	Frederick	MD
43	BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery	Huntington Beach	CA
44	Odell Brewing Co.	Fort Collins	CO
45	Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurants	Louisville	CO
46	Straub Brewery	Saint Marys	PA
47	BridgePort Brewing Co. (part of Gambrinus)	Portland	OR
48	Lost Coast Brewery & Cafe	Eureka	CA
49	Big Sky Brewing Co.	Missoula	MT
50	Stevens Point Brewery Co.	Stevens Point	WI

Notable changes and additions:

• Three new breweries have made their first appearance on the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies list: Oskar Blues Brewery, Saint Arnold Brewing Co. and Bear Republic Brewing Co.
• Stevens Point Brewery was added to the Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies list for 2008 and 2009, as the majority of its sales are now in traditional all-malt beers.
• Independent Brewers United and Gambrinus, each with two separate brand families in the Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies list, are shown by their separate companies.
• Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for the Top 50 rankings.

The Association’s full 2009 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual breweries, will be published in the May/June issue of The New Brewer, available on May 18.

For additional statistics, see the Craft Brewing Statistics section of the Brewers Association website, and 2009 Craft Brewer Sales Numbers press release.

¹The definition of a craft brewer as stated by the Brewers Association: An American craft brewer is small, independent, and traditional. Small: Annual production of beer less than 2 million barrels. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewer’s brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.