(Boulder, CO) – The Brewers Association—the not-for-profit trade group that tabulates production statistics for U.S. breweries—today released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on 2011 beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 36 are small and independent¹ craft brewing companies¹,².
“In the last 15 years, craft brewing has gone from one percent of the overall beer market to almost six percent in 2011,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “We attribute a large part of that growth to the many talented brewers who are providing beer lovers with more beer style and flavor choices than ever before.”
Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies
(Based on 2011 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 | The Gambrinus Company | San Antonio | TX |
| 5 | Deschutes Brewery | Bend | OR |
| 6 | Matt Brewing Co. | Utica | NY |
| 7 | Bell’s Brewery, Inc. | Galesburg | MI |
| 8 | Harpoon Brewery | Boston | MA |
| 9 | Lagunitas Brewing Co. | Petaluma | CA |
| 10 | Boulevard Brewing Co. | Kansas City | MO |
| 11 | Stone Brewing Company | Escondido | CA |
| 12 | Dogfish Head Craft Brewery | Milton | DE |
| 13 | Brooklyn Brewery | Brooklyn | NY |
| 14 | Alaskan Brewing & Bottling Co. | Juneau | AK |
| 15 | Long Trail Brewing Co. | Burlington | VT |
| 16 | Shipyard Brewing Co. | Portland | ME |
| 17 | Abita Brewing Co. | Abita Springs | LA |
| 18 | Great Lakes Brewing Co. | Cleveland | OH |
| 19 | New Glarus Brewing Co. | New Glarus | WI |
| 20 | Full Sail Brewing Co. | Hood River | OR |
| 21 | Summit Brewing Co. | St. Paul | MN |
| 22 | Anchor Brewing Co. | San Francisco | CA |
| 23 | Firestone Walker Brewing Co. | Paso Robles | CA |
| 24 | Sweetwater Brewing Co. | Atlanta | GA |
| 25 | Rogue Ales | Newport | OR |
| 26 | Flying Dog Brewery | Frederick | MD |
| 27 | Victory Brewing Co. | Downingtown | PA |
| 28 | CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants | Chattanooga/Louisville | TN/CO |
| 29 | Oskar Blues Brewery | Longmont | CO |
| 30 | Odell Brewing Co. | Fort Collins | CO |
| 31 | Stevens Point Brewery Co. | Stevens Point | WI |
| 32 | Ninkasi Brewing Co. | Eugene | OR |
| 33 | BJ’s Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc. | Huntington Beach | CA |
| 34 | Blue Point Brewing Co. | Patchogue | NY |
| 35 | Bear Republic Brewing Co. | Cloverdale | CA |
| 36 | Lost Coast Brewery Cafe | Eureka | CA |
| 37 | Big Sky Brewing Co. | Missoula | MT |
| 38 | North Coast Brewing Co. Inc. | Fort Bragg | CA |
| 39 | Saint Louis Brewery, Inc./Schlafly Bottleworks | St. Louis | MO |
| 40 | Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. | San Jose | CA |
| 41 | Breckenridge Brewery | Denver | CO |
| 42 | Founders Brewing Co. | Grand Rapids | MI |
| 43 | Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Houston | TX |
| 44 | Karl Strauss Brewing Co. | San Diego | CA |
| 45 | Real Ale Brewing Co. | Blanco | TX |
| 46 | Mac and Jack’s Brewery Inc. | Redmond | WA |
| 47 | Smuttynose Brewing Co. | Portsmouth | NH |
| 48 | Utah Brewers Cooperative | Salt Lake City | UT |
| 49 | Left Hand Brewing Co. | Longmont | CO |
| t.50 | Anderson Valley Brewing Co. | Boonville | CA |
| t.50 | Four Peaks Brewing Co. | Tempe | AZ |
