Brewers Association Releases Annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report and Top 50 Producing Craft Brewing Companies for 2022

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Boulder, Colo. — The Brewers Association (BA)—the trade association representing small and independent1  American craft brewers—today released annual production figures for the U.S. craft brewing industry. 2 In 2022, small and independent brewers collectively produced 24.3 million barrels of beer, on par with 2021’s numbers3, and craft’s overall beer market share by volume grew to 13.2%, up from 13.1% the previous year.

The overall beer market* shrank 3% by volume in 2022. Retail dollar value was estimated at $28.4 billion, representing a 24.6% market share and 6% growth over 2021. Sales growth was stronger than volume due to pricing, share shift to smaller brewers—who are more likely to sell onsite and via distributed draught—as well as the continued channel shift back to on-premise, which has a higher average retail value. Craft brewers provided 189,413 direct jobs, a 9% increase from 2021, driven both by growth in the number of breweries and a continued shift to hospitality-focused business models.

“2022 presented small brewers with a number of challenges, including rising operating and material costs and increasing competition, particularly in distribution,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “In this maturing and competitive market, collective growth for the category is hard to come by.”

The number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2022, reaching an all-time high of 9,552, including 2,035 microbreweries, 3,418 brewpubs, 3,838 taproom breweries, and 261 regional craft breweries. The total U.S. operating brewery count was 9,709, up from 9,384 in 2021. Throughout the year, there were 549 new brewery openings and 319 closings. Openings decreased for a second consecutive year, with the continued decline reflecting a more mature market. The closing rate increased in 2022 but continued to remain relatively low, at approximately 3%.

“The relatively low closure rate reflects both the solid demand for fuller flavored local beer as well as the versatility and flexibility of small brewers,” added Watson.

top breweries by production map and brewery locations

In addition, the Brewers Association also released its annual list of the top 50 producing craft brewing companies and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies in 2022, 40 were small and independent craft brewing companies.4

“Breweries that managed to move up the list organically are often those that are adding incremental growth to the category,” said Watson. “Both beer and craft need to create new occasions and new beer lovers to find growth.”

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies

RankCompanyCityState
1D. G. Yuengling and Son IncPottsvillePA
2Boston Beer CoBoston, MiltonMA, DE
3Sierra Nevada Brewing CoChicoCA
4Duvel Moortgat USAPaso Robles, Kansas City, CooperstownCA, MO, NY
5Gambrinus CompanyShiner, BerkeleyTX, CA
6Artisanal Brewing VenturesDowingtown, Lakewood, BrooklynPA, NY, NY
7Stone Brewing*EscondidoCA
8CANarchyLongmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, DallasCO, FL, UT, MI, TX
9Tilray Beer BrandsAtlanta, Montauk, San DiegoGA, NY, CA
10Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
11Deschutes BreweryBendOR
12New Glarus Brewing CoNew GlarusWI
13Athletic Brewing CompanyMilfordCT
14Matt Brewing CoUticaNY
15Minhas Craft BreweryMonroeWI
16Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
17Gordon Biersch Brewing CoSan JoseCA
18Great Lakes Brewing CompanyClevelandOH
19Stevens Point BreweryStevens PointWI
20Allagash Brewing CompanyPortlandME
21Georgetown Brewing CoSeattleWA
22Odell Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
23Rhinegeist BreweryCincinnatiOH
24Three Floyds BrewingMunsterIN
25Troegs Brewing CoHersheyPA
26Summit Brewing CoSaint PaulMN
27Narragansett Brewing CoProvidenceRI
28Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times)Kihei, San DiegoHI, CA
29August Schell Brewing CompanyNew UlmMN
30Kings & Convicts BrewingSan DiegoCA
31Pittsburgh Brewing CoPittsburghPA
32Alaskan Brewing CoJuneauAK
33Kona Brewing CoKailua-KonaHI
34Flying Dog BreweryFrederickMD
35Abita Brewing CoCovingtonLA
36Fiddlehead BrewingShelburneVT
37Creature Comforts Brewing CoAthensGA
38BrewDog Brewing CompanyCanal WinchesterOH
39Revolution BrewingChicagoIL
40Lost Coast BreweryEurekaCA
41Rogue Ales BreweryNewportOR
42Surly Brewing CompanyMinneapolisMN
43Ninkasi Brewing CoEugeneOR
44Saint Arnold Brewing CoHoustonTX
45IndieBrewAtlanta, NashvilleGA, TN
46Shipyard Brewing CoPortlandME
47Jack's Abby BrewingFraminghamMA
48North Coast Brewing CoFort BraggCA
49Pizza Port Brewing CompanyCarlsbadCA
50Made by the WaterNew Orleans, Apalachicola, Asheville, CharlestonLA, FL, NC, SC

Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies 

RankCompanyCityState
1Anheuser-Busch Inc (a)St. LouisMO
2MolsonCoors (b)ChicagoIL
3Constellation (c)ChicagoIL
4Heineken USA (d)White PlainsNY
5Pabst Brewing Co (e)Los AngelesCA
6Diageo (f)NorwalkCT
7D. G. Yuengling and Son IncPottsvillePA
8FIFCO USA (g)RochesterNY
9Boston Beer Co (h)Boston, MiltonMA, DE
10Kirin-Lion / New Belgium Brewing (i)Fort Collins, ComstockCO, MI
11Sierra Nevada Brewing CoChicoCA
12Duvel Moortgat USA (j)Paso Robles, Kansas City, CooperstownCA, MO, NY
13Founders Brewing / Mahou San Miguel (k)Grand Rapids, BoulderMI, CO
14Gambrinus (l)Berkeley, ShinerCA, TX
15Artisanal Brewing Ventures (m)Downingtown, Lakewood, BrooklynPA, NY, NY
16Stone Brewing (n)EscondidoCA
17CANarchy (o)Longmont, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Comstock, DallasCO, FL, UT, MI, TX
18Tilray Beer Brands (p)Atlanta, Montauk, San DiegoGA, NY, CA
19Sapporo USA (q)San FranciscoCA
20Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
21Deschutes BreweryBendOR
22New Glarus Brewing CoNew GlarusWI
23Athletic Brewing CompanyStratfordCT
24Matt Brewing Co (r)UticaNY
25Minhas Craft Brewery (s)MonroeWI
26Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
27Gordon Biersch Brewing CoSan JoseCA
28Great Lakes Brewing CompanyClevelandOH
29Stevens Point Brewery (t)Stevens PointWI
30Allagash Brewing CompanyPortlandME
31Georgetown Brewing CoSeattleWA
32Odell Brewing CoFort CollinsCO
33Rhinegeist BreweryCincinnatiOH
34Three Floyds Brewing (u)MunsterIN
35Troegs Brewing CoHersheyPA
36Summit Brewing CoSaint PaulMN
37Narragansett Brewing CoPawtucketRI
38Craft ‘Ohana (Maui/Modern Times) (v)Kihei, San DiegoHI/CA
39August Schell Brewing Company (w)New UlmMN
40Kings & Convicts Brewing/Ballast PointSan DiegoCA
41Pittsburgh Brewing (x)PittsburghPA
42Alaskan Brewing CoJuneauAK
43Kona Brewing Co (y)Kailua-KonaHI
44Flying Dog BreweryFrederickMD
45Abita Brewing CoCovingtonLA
46Fiddlehead Brewing ShelburneVT
47Creature ComfortsAthensGA
48BrewDog Brewing CoCanal WinchesterOH
49Revolution BrewingChicagoIL
50Lost Coast Brewing CoEurekaCA

Note: Numbers are preliminary. For additional insights from Bart Watson, visit Insights & Analysis on the Brewers Association website. The full 2022 industry analysis will be published in the May/June 2023 issue of The New Brewer®, highlighting regional trends and production by individual breweries.

* Does not include FMBs/FSBs. With those included, total taxed-as-beer products decreased 4%.

1 An American craft brewer is a small and independent brewer. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3% of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Independent: Less than 25% 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. Brewer: Has a TTB Brewer’s Notice and makes beer.

2 Absolute figures reflect the dynamic craft brewer data set as specified by the craft brewer definition. Growth numbers are presented on a comparable basis. See full methodology.

3 Volume by craft brewers represents total taxable production.

4 Figure based on companies that met the craft brewer definition for all or part of 2022.

View a list of brands included under the companies in the overall brewing category.

ContactMeg Papanastassiou (Weldon) (on behalf of the Brewers Association) 970.963.4873 x212.


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About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers, and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,600-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The Brewers Association organizes events, including the World Beer Cup®Great American Beer Festival®Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®National Homebrew Competition, and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® and Zymurgy® magazines, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com® and about homebrewing via the American Homebrewers Association®. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 13672 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.

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