Brewers Association Announces Top 50 List

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 2010 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. Thirty-six of the top 50 brewing companies are small and independent craft brewing companies.
"At more than 1,700, the number of breweries in the U.S. is higher than any time since the late 1800s," said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. "Beer lovers' appreciation for American craft brewers and their craft beers continue to grow."

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies
(Based on 2010 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 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
6 Independent Brewers United (IBU)* Burlington VT
7 Matt Brewing Co. Utica NY
8 Bell's Brewery, Inc. Galesburg MI
9 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
10 Boulevard Brewing Co. Kansas City MO
11 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Milton DE
12 Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co. Juneau AK
13 Long Trail Brewing Co. Bridgewater Corners VT
14 Stone Brewing Co. Escondido CA
15 Abita Brewing Co. Abita Springs LA
16 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
17 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Petaluma CA
18 Full Sail Brewing Co. Hood River OR
19 Shipyard Brewing Co. Portland ME
20 Summit Brewing Co. St. Paul MN
21 New Glarus Brewing Co. New Glarus WI
22 Great Lakes Brewing Co. Cleveland OH
23 Anchor Brewing Co. San Francisco CA
24 Kona Brewery LLC* Kailua-Kona HI
25 Rogue Ales Newport OR
26 Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles CA
27 Sweetwater Brewing Co. Atlanta GA
28 Flying Dog Brewery Frederick MD
29 Victory Brewing Co. Downingtown PA
30 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. San Jose CA
31 BJ's Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. Huntington Beach CA
32 Stevens Point Brewery Co. Stevens Point WI
33 Odell Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
34 BridgePort Brewing Co.* Portland OR
35 Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurants Louisville CO
36 Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont CO
37 Blue Point Brewing Co. Patchogue NY
38 Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe Eureka CA
39 Big Sky Brewing Co. Missoula MT
40 North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. Fort Bragg CA
41 Mac and Jack's Brewery Redmond WA
42 The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. Maplewood MO
43 Bear Republic Brewing Co. Cloverdale CA
44 Karl Strauss Brewing Co. San Diego CA
45 Breckenridge Brewery Denver CO
46 Utah Brewers Cooperative Salt Lake City UT
47 Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants Chattanooga TN
48 Saint Arnold Brewing Co. Houston TX
49 Real Ale Brewing Co. Blanco TX
50 Ninkasi Brewing Co. Eugene OR
*Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies notes: Spoetzl is part of Gambrinus Company; IBU January-August only prior to sale to North American Breweries (NAB); Kona January-September only prior to sale to Craft Brewers Alliance (CBA); BridgePort is part of Gambrinus Company.

Top 50 Brewing Companies
(Based on 2010 beer sales volume)
Rank Brewing Company City State
1 Anheuser-Busch Inc. St. Louis MO
2 MillerCoors Brewing Co. Chicago IL
3 Pabst Woodbridge 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 North American Breweries* Rochester NY
9 Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc.* Portland OR
10 Spoetzl Brewery* Shiner TX
11 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
12 Independent Brewers United (IBU)* Burlington VT
13 Matt Brewing Co. Utica NY
14 Minhas Craft Brewery Monroe WI
15 Bell's Brewery, Inc. Galesburg MI
16 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
17 Boulevard Brewing Co. Kansas City MO
18 Goose Island Beer Co. Chicago IL
19 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Milton DE
20 Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co. Juneau AK
21 Long Trail Brewing Co. Bridgewater Corners VT
22 August Schell Brewing Co. New Ulm MN
23 Stone Brewing Co. Escondido CA
24 Abita Brewing Co. Abita Springs LA
25 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
26 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Petaluma CA
27 Full Sail Brewing Co. Hood River OR
28 Shipyard Brewing Co. Portland ME
29 Summit Brewing Co. St Paul MN
30 New Glarus Brewing Co. New Glarus WI
31 Great Lakes Brewing Co. Cleveland OH
32 Anchor Brewing Co. San Francisco CA
33 Iron City Brewing Co. Pittsburgh PA
34 Kona Brewery LLC* Kailua-Kona HI
35 Rogue Ales Newport OR
36 Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Paso Robles CA
37 Winery Exchange Inc. / World Brews Novato CA
38 Sweetwater Brewing Co. Atlanta GA
39 Mendocino Brewing Co. Ukiah CA
40 Flying Dog Brewery Frederick MD
41 Victory Brewing Co. Downingtown PA
42 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. San Jose CA
43 BJ's Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. Huntington Beach CA
44 Stevens Point Brewery Co. Stevens Point WI
45 Odell Brewing Co. Fort Collins CO
46 BridgePort Brewing Co.* Portland OR
47 Cold Spring Brewing Co. Cold Spring MN
48 Rock Bottom Brewery Louisville CO
49 Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont CO
50 Straub Brewery Saint Marys PA
*Top 50 Brewing Companies notes: NAB includes IBU August-December; CBA includes Kona October-December; Spoetzl is part of Gambrinus Company; and IBU is January-August only (sale to NAB); Kona is January-September only (sale to CBA); BridgePort is part of Gambrinus Company. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for the Top 50 rankings.
The Association's full 2010 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual breweries, will be published in the May/June issue of The New Brewer, available May 18.