Like most retail operations, craft breweries saw their sales slump and market share dwindle during the pandemic as taprooms and pubs shuttered their doors. The Brewers Association, a trade group for small and independent breweries, estimates that the overall U.S. beer market fell 3% by volume in 2020, with craft breweries taking a 9% hit.
But craft breweries aren’t crying in their beer. They fought back by creating innovative offerings in addition to the standard IPAs and ales, like hard seltzers and ever more fruited and flavored beers. According to the trade publication Beverage Industry, IBISWorld, a global research and data organization, predicts a strong rebound from the pandemic, foreseeing industry revenue to rise an annualized 2.4% from $7.3 billion to $8.2 billion over the next five years. (These are America’s top-selling beer brands.)
To determine the most popular craft brewers in America, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a list ranking brewing companies by sales volume in 2020, published by the Brewers Association, a non-profit trade organization serving small and independent American breweries.
The Association defines a craft brewery as a small independent one — specifying that “small” means that it produces no more than six million barrels a year and “independent” means that less than 25% of the operation can be owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.
By this definition, some fairly large breweries qualify. For instance, D. G. Yuengling and Son and Boston Beer Co. (of Samuel Adams fame) earn places not only on this list but on a ranking of the 50 top overall brewing companies — putting them on the same playing field as giants like Anheuser-Busch and MolsonCoors.
Click here to see the 50 most popular craft brewers in America
As the country emerges from the pandemic and starts to get out and socialize again, beer may be the perfect chaser. And as the Brewers Association points out, the majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a craft brewery. So drink up! (You might consider some of America’s 40 most delicious beers.)
50. New Holland Brewing
> Location: Holland, Michigan
Launched in 1997, New Holland Brewing employs 500 “team members” and sells its beer across the country from its headquarters near Lake Michigan. Its lineup of craft beers includes its signature Dragon’s Milk, a bourbon-barrel-aged stout.
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49. Montauk Brewing Co.
> Location: Montauk, New York
Montauk Brewing Co. has beers for all seasons, from Summer Ale to Pumpkin Ale. But the company considers itself a beach lifestyle brand, which is fitting considering its location on the tip of Long Island.
48. Creature Comforts Brewing Co.
> Location: Athens, Georgia
Creature Comforts Brewing Co.’s mission is to not only help people understand the nuances of craft beer, but to help the community as well through its charitable endeavors. It supports Athens through ithe Get Comfortable initiative, which directs donations toward those agencies most in need.
47. Left Hand Brewing Co.
> Location: Longmont, Colorado
From a hobby to a business: Two Air Force buddies, Eric Wallace and Diсk Doore, decided the beers on the market were boring. So they brewed up a concoction more palatable to their tastes, and 26 years later they offer a Milk Stout Nitro lineup and seasonal beers like Oktoberfest.
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46. Shipyard Brewing Co.
> Location: Portland, Maine
You’d expect a brewing company based in Maine to pay homage to its New England roots and Shipyard Brewing Co. doesn’t disappoint. Among its beers are Smashed Pumpkin and Apple Crisp. There’s also a Summer Ale and an Island Time IPA.
45. Fremont Brewing
> Location: Seattle, Washington
A family-owned craft brewery, Fremont Brewing has been creating craft beers since 2009. Its taplist includes Golden (a pilsner), Universale (a pale ale), and Dark Star (an imperial oatmeal stout). Also on tap is its bourbon-barrel aged nitro, Dark Spice Wars.
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44. Two Roads Brewing Co.
> Location: Stratford, Connecticut
Two Roads Brewing Co. has two locations in Stratford, with its second location titled Area Two Experimental Brewing. And the company isn’t kidding when it says experimental. Pineapple Sour D and Party Cake are two of its offerings at its second branch. For more traditional tastes, it brews IPAs, including a Wee Demon 95-calorie version.
43. Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
> Location: Decorah, Iowa
After home brewing for a decade, Clark and Barbara Lewey went retail with Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. in 2009. Its more than 40 crafted IPAs and barrel-aged stouts include the perennially award-winning Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout.
42. Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
> Location: Houston, Texas
Billed as Texas’s oldest craft brewery, Saint Arnold Brewing Co. has been making beer since 1994. Among its year-round offerings are Lawnmower, a German-style beer; Harmony, a pale ale; and H-Town Pils, a lager. Want some bites with the beer? The brewery also cooks up a full menu of pizzas.
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41. BrewDog Brewing Co.
> Location: Canal Winchester, Ohio
Among BrewDog Brewing Co.’s on-tap libations are Dude Where’s My Tank, a dark IPA, and Bon Bons, a sour, fruity beer. Available in a can is Elvis Juice, described as a bitter IPA with a citrus flair. And if you’re hungry on a Wednesday night, BrewDog’s Wings Wednesday offers all the wings you can eat for $20.
40. Modern Times Beer
> Location: San Diego, California
Want a cup of Joe after you sip your beer? At Modern Times Beer in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego you can get your fill of java and hops. In addition to its base in San Diego, Modern Times operates breweries and restaurants in cities along the West Coast, north as far as Portland.
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39. Revolution Brewing
> Location: Chicago, Illinois
Revolution Brewing’s variety of beers span everything from IPAs and pilsners to pale ales and barrel-aged offerings. Its brands include Hero and League of Heroes IPAs, and a City Series, brewed with Lake Michigan water and only available in the Windy City.
38. Lost Coast Brewery
> Location: Eureka, California
When it launched, Lost Coast Brewery brewed up its craft beers in a 100-year-old building in downtown Eureka. Now, it’s headquartered in a custom-built brewery where it still stirs up its original brand, the Great White.
37. Rogue Ales Brewery
> Location: Newport, Oregon
Brewing mostly lagers and ales, Rogue Ales Brewery distributes across the country. But you can sip its brews at one of six pubs in Newport, Portland, and Astoria, Oregon. The company also offers a line of canned cocktails and whiskeys if you like a drink without the foam.
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36. Surly Brewing Co.
> Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Surly Brewing Co. got its name when founder Omar Ansari and founding brewer Todd Haug were frustrated they couldn’t find any good beer in Minnesota. So they convinced Omar’s father to allocate a portion of his factory to the brewery. Unfortunately, state law prohibited breweries from selling their product onsite. So Omar got the law changed in 2011, and the business boomed from then on.
35. Flying Dog Brewery
> Location: Frederick, Maryland
Offering a series of seasonal, limited release, and year-round beers, Flying Dog Beers feature a Double Dog Double IPA and a Blood Orange Ale for 12-month sipping. Seasonal offerings include a Pool Hopping Summer Ale, The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale, and Freezing Season Winter Ale.
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34. 21st Amendment Brewery
> Location: San Leandro, California
In probably the most appropriately named brewery of all time, 21st Amendment Brewery gets its name from the 21st Amendment that repealed the hated Prohibition. With that pesky law now ancient history, beer lovers can enjoy the brewery’s Fireside Chat Winter Spiced Ale or its signature American IPA, Brew Free! Or Die.
33. Ninkasi Brewing Co.
> Location: Eugene, Oregon
In the mid-2000s, drinking buddies Jamie Floyd and Nikos Ridge decided to start a brewery. Nikos had the finance background and Jamie the brewing knowledge, so they launched Ninkasi Brewing Co. with its first batch - Total Domination IPA – in 2006.
32. Narragansett Brewing Co.
> Location: Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Narragansett Brewing Co. traces its roots back to Narragansett Lager Beer, first brewed in the 1890s. It was a New England staple for decades, even sponsoring the Boston Red Sox in the 1950s. The brand was bought by Falstaff Brewing Corp. in 1975. Sadly in 1982, the brewery was shut down. But in 2005, investor Mark Hellendrung bought it and brought it back to life. It still offers its signature lager, along with IPAs, and a Rhode Island Hard Tea.
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31. Long Trail Brewing Co.
> Location: Bridgewater Corners, Vermont
Long Tail Brewing Co. rolled out its first Long Tail Ale in 1989, and was soon on tap in Vermont’s bars. In addition to its inaugural ale, its lineup features IPAs and flavored seltzers.
30. Kings & Convicts Brewing / Ballast Point
> Location: Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin; San Diego, California
Large spirit conglomerates stand poised to snap up smaller, independent breweries. But in 2019, Kings & Convicts Brewing took the opposite tact. In a deal that stunned the craft beer world,it bought Ballast Point from Constellation Brands, owner of global brands like Corona and Modelo, which had itself purchased Ballast Point four years earlier for $1 billion. No purchase price was revealed for the deal.
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29. Allagash Brewing Co.
> Location: Portland, Maine
Allagash Brewing Co. brews its Belgian-inspired beers with only locally sourced grains. With those grains, the brewery creates a series of beers ranging from Allagash White, a Belgian-style wheat beer and ales brewed with fruit flavors, like the Blackcurrant sparkling session ale.
28. Georgetown Brewing Co.
> Location: Seattle, Washington
Georgetown Brewing Co. got its start when its owners, Manny and Roger, grabbed a 15-barrel system from a defunct brewery in North Carolina in 2002. It’s now the largest independent brewery in Washington State, selling its line of Bodhizafa IPA, Lucille IPA, Johnny Utah Pale Ale, and Roger’s Pilsner.
27. Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.
> Location: San Jose, California
Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. was born in 1988 after Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch teamed up to launch a brewery/restaurant. Dan learned his trade at the top brewing school in the world, the Technical University of Munich. Today, the brewery serves only German-style beer fermented with yeast imported from Germany.
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26. Alaskan Brewing Co.
> Location: Juneau, Alaska
In 1986, Marcy and Geoff Larson opened the Alaskan Brewing Co., the first brewery in Juneau since Prohibition. The beers reflect this location, with names such as Icy Bay IPA, Husky IPA, and Hypothermia IPA..
25. Rhinegeist Brewery
> Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Former San Francisco-based consultants Bob Bonder and Bryant Goulding hatched a plan to open a brewery in Cincinnati, and in 2013 they did just that. Rhinegeist Brewery features a year-round lineup of IPAs, ales, and a lager, along with seasonal offerings like a Slangria fruited ale and a Sunspun shandy.
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24. Three Floyds Brewing Co.
> Location: Munster, Indiana
Launched in 1996, Three Floyds Brewing Co. conjures up European-themed brews with the Bavarian Haze IPA and Aggromaster, a Scottish style ale. Among its limited releases is Crushing Mass, a barrel-aged coffee stout.
23. August Schell Brewing Co.
> Location: New Ulm, Minnesota
August Schell Brewing Co.’s roots go back to the 1860s, when it was founded by Schell himself. The company survived Prohibition, and in the 1980s turned to craft beers with a line of German craft lagers.
22. Great Lakes Brewing Co.
> Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Brothers Pat and Dan Conway started Great Lakes Brewing Co., renovating older buildings in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood in the 1980s. In a delicious irony, the building that now houses the Great Lakes brewpub was once a tavern visited by prohibition champion Eliot Ness. One of its beers is named in his honor — the Eliot Ness Amber lager.
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21. Summit Brewing Co.
> Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Founded in 1986 by Mark Studtrud, Summit Brewing Co. has gone on to win awards for its craft beers. At the 2018 World Beer Cup, the brewery’s German-style Pils took the bronze medal for kellerbiers. The same year, Summit Keller Pils won the gold medal for kellerbiers at the Great American Beer Fest.
20. Troegs Brewing Co.
> Location: Hersey, Pennsylvania
Looking for a brew to sip at your holiday parties? Try Troegs Brewing Co.’s Mad Elf Ale sweetened with cherries and honey or Blizzard of Hops Winter IPA. For year-round drinking, Troegs offers its Perpetual IPA
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19. Abita Brewing Co.
> Location: Covington, Louisiana
Located 30 miles north of New Orleans, Abita Brewing Co. names its beers in honor of its state. Alpha Gator IPA, Andygator, and Big Easy IPA are just a few of its offerings. Its pub’s menu has a Cajun flair with jambalaya Ryan and catfish étouffée.
18. Minhas Craft Brewery
> Location: Monroe, Wisconsin
Minhas Craft Brewery is truly an international player in the craft beer space. In addition to its Monroe, Wisconsin base, it has two locations in Calgary, Canada where patrons can sample its beers and malt liquors.
17. Odell Brewing Co.
> Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Odell Brewing Co. stated as a family business. In 1989, Doug Odell, his wife, Wynne, and his sister Corkie founded the brewery, making a range of ales and lagers. But in 2015, the family sold a majority stake in the company to its workers in a combined management buyout and employee stock ownership program.
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16. Stevens Point Brewery
> Location: Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Founded in 1857, Stevens Point Brewery served beer to the troops during the Civil War. Since then, the brewery has grown steadily, and in 1992 it was purchased by Barton Beers of Chicago. Stevens Point’s lineup of brews features year-round favorites like Classic Amber Lager, and such seasonal offerings asSnow Pilot and Lake Side
15. Harpoon Brewery
> Location: Boston, Massachusetts
In 1986, Harpoon Brewery grabbed Brewing Permit #001 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a year later, its original Harpoon Ale hit the marketplace. Today, its lineup of brews features numerous IPAs and stouts.
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14. Brooklyn Brewery
> Location: Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn Brewery continues the tradition of beer making that began in the borough in the 1880s. In 1984, founders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter first fermented the brewery’s signature Brooklyn Lager. Today, their beers can be quaffed in 30 countries and on five continents, placing it 23rd on the list of 50 overall top brewing companies.
13. Matt Brewing Co.
> Location: Utica, New York
Matt Brewing Co. launched in 1878 when Francis Xavier Matt immigrated from Germany. His son and grandson carried on the tradition. Today Matt’s descendants work in the business, producing seasonal favorites like Winter Lager and Caramel Porter.
12. New Glarus Brewing Co.
> Location: New Glarus, Wisconsin
One of New Glarus Brewing Co.’s signature offerings is Two Women Lager, a collaboration between New Glarus and Weyermann Malting, both women-owned breweries. Among its seasonal favorites are Staghorn Octoberfest and Totally Naked.
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11. SweetWater Brewing Co.
> Location: Atlanta, Georgia
From its Atlanta base, SweetWater Brewing Co. creates a full menu of beers, from lagers to IPAs. Seasonal offerings include Almond Milk Stout and Troptimistic.
10. Deschutes Brewery
> Location: Bend, Colorado
Named after the waterway flowing through Bend, the Deschutes River, Deschutes Brewery sold its first beers in 1988. It offers 11 IPAs along with other ales, as well as porters, stouts, sours, and pilsners.
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9. Stone Brewing
> Location: Escondido, California
If IPAs are your brew of choice, Stone Brewing stirs up a full lineup of your favorite beer. From Delicious to Tangerine Express Hazy, Stone Brewing has you covered. The brewery has also teamed up with Modern Times for a Wizards & Gargoyles Hazy Coffee IPA.
8. Artisanal Brewing Ventures
> Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania; Lakewood and Brooklyn, New York
Artisanal Brewing Ventures growth shows just how far craft brewing has come from the days of small local shops. It’s now a top 10 regional craft brewer in the U.S. and oversees three successful craft breweries: Victory Brewing in Downingtown, Pennsylvania; Southern Tier Brewing in Lakewood, New York; and Sixpoint Brewing in Brooklyn — but it has its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.
7. Bell’s Brewery Inc.
> Location: Comstock, Michigan
Founded in 1976 by Larry Bell, Bell’s Brewery started as a homebrew supply store, but has since grown into a full-fledged brewery. By 1985, Larry was selling his first brew, Amber Ale. Today, the offerings have widened to Kalamazoo Stout and Lager of the Lakes, a Bohemian pilsner.
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6. CANarchy
> Location: Longmont, Colorado; Tampa, Florida; Salt Lake City, Utah; Comstock, Michigan; Inglewood, California; Dallas, Texas
Billing itself as a “disruptive collective of like-minded brewers,” CANarchy’s portfolio include Oskar Blues Brewery, Cigar City Brewing, Squatters Craft Beers, Wasatch Brewery, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Perrin Brewing Company, Three Weavers Brewing Company, and Revitalyte. Its members’ craft beverages are sold throughout the United States and 21 countries and U.S. territories.
5. Gambrinus
> Location: Berkeley, California; Shiner, Texas
Gambrinus’s roots go back to 1909 when the Spoetzl Brewery started brewing in Shiner, Texas, making it the oldest independent brewery in the state. Today, the family owned company stills sells the beer brewed at Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner Beer, along with beers from the Trumer Brewery in Berkeley, California.
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4. Duvel Moortgat
> Location: Paso Robles, California; Kansas City, Missouri; Cooperstown, New York
Jan-Léonard Moortgat founded the Moortgat farm brewery in 1871 in Belgium. Fast -forward to today when the fourth generation of the family operates 11 Duvel Moortgat breweries around the globe, with four in Belgium, three in the U.S., and one each in the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and the U.K., proving that craft beer is truly an international business.
3. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
> Location: Chico, California
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. launched in 1980, but it started much earlier than that when founder Ken Grossman bought his first home brewing kit as a teenager in 1969. Today, the business he built offers Pale Ale, Torpedo, an extra IPA, and Dankful, a hoppy IPA. Seasonal favorites include Oktoberfest and Summer Break IPA.
2. Boston Beer Co.
> Location: Boston, Massachusetts; Milton, Delaware
Boston Beer Co. is a multi-branded beverage conglomerate. Its well-known brands include the iconic Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Dogfish Head, Truly Hard Seltzer, Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Coney Island Brewing Co., and L.A.’s Angel City Brewery.
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1. D. G. Yuengling and Son, Inc.
> Location: Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Billed as America’s oldest brewery, D.G. Yuengling and Son, Inc. has been crafting beers since 1829. Last year, it partnered with Molson Coors Beverage Co. to expand its sales deeper into the western U.S. It’s lineup of beers features Yuengling Traditional Lager, Light Lager 99, Golden Pilsner, Black & Tan, Golden Pilsner, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Oktoberfest, and Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Port.
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