Brewers Association Reveals Top 50 Breweries of 2014

The Brewers Association has released its list of the Top 50 Breweries of 2014. The BA's new definition of what comprises a craft brewery caused the most changes to the list, as D.G. Yuengling and Son, Inc. took the top spot from longtime number one Boston Beer Company. The full list can be found here.

Here is the release from the Brewers Association:

Boulder, CO •March 31, 2015—The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade group representing small and independent craft brewers—today 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, 42 were craft brewing companies¹.

"The companies on this list include the vanguard of the craft industry," said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. "They are exposing new beer lovers to craft, opening new markets and creating opportunities for the entire category. As they continue to grow, so will the availability of innovative and high-quality beers produced for all to enjoy."

Top 50 U.S. Craft Brewing Companies

(Based on 2014 beer sales volume)

Rank	Brewing Company	City	State
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	Shiner	TX
6	Lagunitas Brewing Co	Petaluma	CA
7	Bell's Brewery, Inc	Galesburg	MI
8	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
9	Stone Brewing Co	Escondido	CA
10	Minhas Craft Brewery	Monroe	WI
11	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
12	Duvel Moortgat USA	Kansas City & Cooperstown	MO/NY
13	Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Milton	DE
14	Matt Brewing Co	Utica	NY
15	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
16	Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Paso Robles	CA
17	Founders Brewing Co	Grand Rapids	MI
18	SweetWater Brewing Co	Atlanta	GA
19	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
20	Alaskan Brewing Co	Juneau	AK
21	Abita Brewing Co	Abita Springs	LA
22	Anchor Brewing Co	San Francisco	CA
23	Great Lakes Brewing Co	Cleveland	OH
24	Oskar Blues Brewery	Longmont	CO
25	Shipyard Brewing Co	Portland	ME
26	Stevens Point Brewery Co	Stevens Point	WI
27	August Schell Brewing Co	New Ulm	MN
28	Summit Brewing Co	Saint Paul	MN
29	Victory Brewing Co	Downingtown	PA
30	Long Trail Brewing Co	Bridgewater Corners	VT
31	Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits	San Diego	CA
32	Rogue Ales Brewery & Headquarters	Newport	OR
33	Full Sail Brewing Co	Hood River	OR
34	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
35	Southern Tier Brewing Co	Lakewood	NY
36	Ninkasi Brewing Co	Eugene	OR
37	Flying Dog Brewery	Frederick	MD
38	Uinta Brewing Co	Salt Lake City	UT
39	Bear Republic Brewing Co	Cloverdale	CA
40	Left Hand Brewing Company	Longmont	CO
41	21st Amendment Brewery Cafe	San Francisco	CA
42	Allagash Brewing Co	Portland	ME
43	Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe	Eureka	CA
44	Troegs Brewing Co	Hershey	PA
45	Karl Strauss Brewing Co	San Diego	CA
46	Saint Arnold Brewing Co	Houston	TX
47	Narragansett Brewing Co	Providence	RI
48	Green Flash Brewing Co	San Diego	CA
49	Craftworks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc	Chattanooga & Louisville	TN/CO
50	Breckenridge Brewery	Denver	CO

Top 50 Overall U.S. Brewing Companies²

(Based on 2014 beer sales volume)

Rank	Company	City	State
1	Anheuser-Busch, Inc (a)	St. Louis	MO
2	Miller Coors (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	Gambrinus (g)	Shiner	TX
11	Lagunitas Brewing Co	Petaluma	CA
12	Bell's Brewery, Inc (h)	Galesburg	MI
13	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
14	Stone Brewing Co	Escondido	CA
15	Sleeman Brewing Co (i)	LaCrosse	WI
16	Minhas Craft Brewery (j)	Monroe	WI
17	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
18	Duvel Moortgat USA (k)	Kansas City & Cooperstown	MO/NY
19	Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Milton	DE
20	Matt Brewing Co (l)	Utica	NY
21	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
22	Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Paso Robles	CA
23	Founders Brewing Co	Grand Rapids	MI
24	SweetWater Brewing Co	Atlanta	GA
25	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
26	Alaskan Brewing Co	Juneau	AK
27	Abita Brewing Co	Abita Springs	LA
28	Anchor Brewing Co	San Francisco	CA
29	Great Lakes Brewing Co	Cleveland	OH
30	Oskar Blues Brewery	Longmont	CO
31	Shipyard Brewing Co (m)	Portland	ME
32	Stevens Point Brewery Co (n)	Stevens Point	WI
33	August Schell Brewing Co (o)	New Ulm	MN
34	Summit Brewing Co	Saint Paul	MN
35	Victory Brewing Co	Downingtown	PA
36	Long Trail Brewing Co (p)	Bridgewater Corners	VT
37	Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits	San Diego	CA
38	Rogue Ales Brewery & Headquarters	Newport	OR
39	Full Sail Brewing Co	Hood River	OR
40	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
41	Southern Tier Brewing Co	Lakewood	NY
42	Ninkasi Brewing Co	Eugene	OR
43	World Brews/Winery Exchange (q)	Novato	CA
44	Flying Dog Brewery	Frederick	MD
45	Pittsburgh Brewing Co (r)	Pittsburgh	PA
46	Uinta Brewing Co	Salt Lake City	UT
47	Bear Republic Brewing Co	Cloverdale	CA
48	Left Hand Brewing Company	Longmont	CO
49	21st Amendment Brewery Cafe	San Francisco	CA
50	Allagash Brewing Co	Portland	OR

Download High Resolution Graphics Here

The Association's full 2014 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual breweries, will be published in the May/June issue of The New Brewer, available in May 2015.

For additional statistics, see the Brewers Association's craft brewing statistics for 2014.

¹ 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 U.S. Overall Brewing Companies notes: (a) includes Bass, Beck's, Blue Point, Bud Light, Budweiser, Busch, Goose Island, 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 and Tenth & Blake brands; (c) includes Pabst, Schlitz 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) includes BridgePort, Shiner and Trumer brands; (h) includes Bell's and Upper Hand brands; (i) includes Sleeman and Sapporo brands; (j) includes Mountain Crest and 10 other brand families; (k) includes Boulevard and Ommegang brands; (l) includes Flying Bison, Saranac and Utica Club brands; (m) includes Casco Bay, Sea Dog and Shipyard brands; (n) includes James Page, Point and Whole Hog brands; (o) includes Grain Belt and Schell's brands; (p) includes Long Trail, Otter Creek, The Shed and Wolaver's brands; (q) private label brands, primarily for grocery store chains; (r) includes Iron City and 17 other brand families.

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Brewers Association Reveals Top 50 Breweries of 2014