Brewers Association Lists Top 50 Breweries of 2015

Courtesy of the Brewers Association

Boulder, CO • April 5, 2016 – 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, 43 were craft brewing companies.¹

“The top U.S. brewers continue to drive demand, growth, innovation and exponential interest in beers from small and independent brewers,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “With a historic record number of breweries in U.S., the top brewers continue to open new markets and expose beer drinkers to a variety of fuller-flavored styles and offerings.”

Top 50 U.S. Craft Brewing Companies

(Based on 2015 beer sales volume*)

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	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	San Antonio	TX
6	Lagunitas Brewing Co*	Petaluma	CA
7	Bell's Brewery, Inc	Kalamazoo	MI
8	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
9	Minhas Craft Brewery	Monroe	WI
10	Stone Brewing Co	Escondido	CA
11	Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits*	San Diego	CA
12	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
13	Firestone Walker Brewing Co	Paso Robles	CA
14	Oskar Blues Brewing Holding Co	Longmont	CO
15	Duvel Moortgat USA	Kansas City & Cooperstown	MO/NY
16	Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Milton	DE
17	Matt Brewing Co	Utica	NY
18	SweetWater Brewing Co	Atlanta	GA
19	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
20	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
21	Great Lakes Brewing Co	Cleveland	OH
22	Alaskan Brewing Co.	Juneau	AK
23	Abita Brewing Co	Abita Springs	LA
24	Anchor Brewing Co	San Francisco	CA
25	Stevens Point Brewery Co	Stevens Point	WI
26	Victory Brewing Co	Downingtown	PA
27	August Schell Brewing Co	New Ulm	MN
28	Long Trail Brewing Co	Bridgewater Corners	VT
29	Summit Brewing Co	Saint Paul	MN
30	Shipyard Brewing Co	Portland	ME
31	Full Sail Brewing Co	Hood River	OR
32	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
33	Southern Tier Brewing Co	Lakewood	NY
34	Rogue Ales Brewery	Newport	OR
35	21st Amendment Brewery	Bay Area	CA
36	Ninkasi Brewing Co	Eugene	OR
37	Flying Dog Brewery	Frederick	MD
38	Narragansett Brewing Co	Providence	RI
39	Left Hand Brewing Company	Longmont	CO
40	Uinta Brewing Co	Salt Lake City	UT
41	Green Flash Brewing Co	San Diego	CA
42	Allagash Brewing Co	Portland	ME
43	Lost Coast Brewery	Eureka	CA
44	Bear Republic Brewing Co	Cloverdale	CA
45	Troegs Brewing Co	Hershey	PA
46	Karl Strauss Brewing Co	San Diego	CA
47	Breckenridge Brewery*	Littleton	CO
48	North Coast Brewing Co Inc.	Fort Bragg	CA
49	Four Peaks Brewing Co*	Tempe	AZ
50	Revolution Brewing Co	Chicago	IL
	*Craft volume pro-rated in 2015 or will be pro-rated/exiting craft brewer data set in 2016

Top 50 U.S. Overall Brewing Companies²

(Based on 2015 beer sales volume)

Rank	Brewing Company	City	State
1	Anheuser-Busch, Inc (a)	Saint Louis	MO
2	MillerCoors (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	Lagunitas Brewing Co (g)	Petaluma	CA
11	Gambrinus (h)	San Antonio	TX
12	Bell's Brewery, Inc (i)	Kalamazoo	MI
13	Deschutes Brewery	Bend	OR
14	Minhas Craft Brewery (j)	Monroe	WI
15	Stone Brewing Co	Escondido	CA
16	Sleeman Brewing Co (k)	LaCrosse	WI
17	Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits (l)	San Diego	CA
18	Brooklyn Brewery	Brooklyn	NY
19	Firestone Walker Brewing Co (m)	Paso Robles	CA
20	Founders Brewing Co	Grand Rapids	MI
21	Oskar Blues Brewing Holding Co (n)	Longmont	CO
22	Duvel Moortgat USA (o)	Kansas City	MO
23	Dogfish Head Craft Brewery	Milton	DE
24	Matt Brewing Co (p)	Utica	NY
25	SweetWater Brewing Co	Atlanta	GA
26	Harpoon Brewery	Boston	MA
27	New Glarus Brewing Co	New Glarus	WI
28	Great Lakes Brewing Co	Cleveland	OH
29	Alaskan Brewing Co	Juneau	AK
30	Abita Brewing Co	Abita Springs	LA
31	Anchor Brewing Co	San Francisco	CA
32	Stevens Point Brewery Co (q)	Stevens Point	WI
33	Victory Brewing Co	Downingtown	PA
34	August Schell Brewing Co (r)	New Ulm	MN
35	Long Trail Brewing Co (s)	Bridgewater Corners	VT
36	Summit Brewing Co	Saint Paul	MN
37	Shipyard Brewing Co (t)	Portland	ME
38	Full Sail Brewing Co	Hood River	OR
39	Odell Brewing Co	Fort Collins	CO
40	Southern Tier Brewing Co	Lakewood	NY
41	Rogue Ales Brewery	Newport	OR
42	21st Amendment Brewery	Bay Area	CA
43	Ninkasi Brewing Co	Eugene	OR
44	Flying Dog Brewery	Frederick	MD
45	Narragansett Brewing Co	Providence	RI
46	Pittsburgh Brewing Co (u)	Pittsburgh	PA
47	Left Hand Brewing Company	Longmont	CO
48	Uinta Brewing Co	Salt Lake City	UT
49	Green Flash Brewing Co	San Diego	CA
50	Allagash Brewing Co	Portland	ME

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The Association's full 2015 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 2016.

For additional statistics, see the Brewers Association’s annual craft brewing industry growth report for 2015.

¹ Figure based on companies that met craft brewer definition for all or part of 2015. 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.

²Top 50 Overall U.S. Brewing Companies notes: (a) includes 10 Barrel, Bass, Beck’s, Blue Point, Bud Light, Budweiser, Busch, Golden Road (partial year) Goose Island, Elysian (partial year) 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, Saint Archer (partial year), and Tenth & Blake brands; (c) includes Pabst, Schlitz, Small Town, 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) full year volume; craft rank reflects pro-rated volume due to sale of stake to Heineken (h) includes BridgePort, Shiner and Trumer brands; (i) includes Bell’s and Upper Hand brands; (j) includes Mountain Crest and 10 other brand families as well as export volume; (k) includes Sleeman and Sapporo brands as well as export volume; (l) volume will be pro-rated in 2016 data set due to sale to Constellation Brands; (m) will be part of control group with Duvel Moortgat USA starting in 2016; (n) includes Utah Brewers Cooperative and Perrin Brewing Company brands, will include Cigar City brands starting in 2016; (o) includes Boulevard and Ommegang brands; (p) includes Flying Bison, Saranac and Utica Club brands; (q) includes James Page, Point and Whole Hog brands; (r) includes Grain Belt and Schell’s brands; (s) includes Long Trail, Otter Creek, The Shed and Wolaver’s brands; (t) includes Casco Bay, Sea Dog and Shipyard brands; (u) includes Iron City and 17 other brand families.

Lagunitas Brewing Releasing A New Year-Round Beer - Aunt Sally a Dry-Hopped Sour Mash Ale

Courtesy of Lagunitas Brewing CO

Info from Lagunitas Brewing CO

Aunt Sally - Unique Dry-Hopped Sweet Tart Sour Mash Ale

 

We soured the wort on the Hot Side with Lactobacillus for a few days and then brewed up this smooth and hoppy sour. It tastes like a big bowl of fruity candy or some chewable flavored vitamins, but what's the difference? It's sweet, tart, and sassy, just like the tasty cherry pie that your favorite aunt makes. For all the Aunt Sally's out there, You know who you are... 

ABV- 5.7

O.G - 1.058

IBU - 33

Sample from Lagunitas Brewing CO. Nice Mild Sour with nice hop aroma & flavor

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Tickets For 2016 California Craft Beer Summit And Beer Festival Now On Sale

 Courtesy of California Craft Brewers Association

 2016 California Craft Beer Summit and Beer Festival gives craft beer community three days of tastings, education and access to brewery legends

 Sacramento, Calif. (April 4, 2016) – The California Craft Brewers Association (CCBA) today launched online ticket sales for its signature event, the California Craft Beer Summit and Beer Festival. The hands-on craft beer experience will take place in downtown Sacramento, September 8-10, and include educational events, receptions and the largest beer festival in the state, featuring 400 rare and specialty beers crafted by California breweries. The full schedule can be found here.  

“The Summit brings together top brewing talent in the state, scores of homebrewers, beer enthusiasts and industry professionals to taste and learn in a lively, experiential setting,” said Tom McCormick, CCBA’s executive director. “We’ve built on the success of last year and scheduled two days for industry networking and education, with everything from a job center to a distributor workshop, and one day focused on craft beer lovers and homebrewers, featuring coffee, food, judging and homebrewing techniques. We truly have something for everyone at the Summit.”

The 2016 California Craft Beer Summit and Beer Festival will include:

·         Interactive experiences, including hands-on brewing techniques, ingredient-based displays and regional tastings

·         Tailored educational sessions for beer lovers, homebrewers and industry members, from how to start a career in craft beer, to how to build a beer list, to the history of the West Coast IPA

·         Food and beer pairings and chef demos

·         “Tap Talks” with famed brewers and leaders in the craft beer industry

·         A premier tasting experience for California craft beer at the Summit Beer Festival on the steps of the state Capitol

“This isn’t just a conference and it isn’t just a festival,” said McCormick. “The Summit connects every thread of the craft beer community and celebrates the passion and creativity that defines the industry. We are proud to highlight the success story of craft beer in California and the individual brewers, passionate craft beer lovers and innovative technologies that support it.”

The three-day event will culminate on Capitol Mall at the Summit Beer Festival, the largest California craft beer festival, featuring more than 150 small, large and specialty breweries from across California.

“We’re excited to come together as a community and participate in this premier event for craft beer in California,” said Patrick Rue, owner of The Bruery and member of the CCBA Board of Directors. “Last year the Summit brought thousands of loyal fans, homebrewers and our California brewing family together to celebrate the art, technique and taste of beer. This year we are raising the bar. It’s exciting to see California strengthen its reputation as the place to go for craft beer across the nation.”

CCBA is offering a range of ticket options that include tickets to individual events such as the Summit Beer Festival ($45), single day Summit entry ($99) or full weekend packages ($219). For additional information on the Summit or to purchase tickets, visit https://cacraftbeersummit.eventbrite.com. Early bird prices end June 30.  

Courtesy of California Craft Brewers Association

About California Craft Brewers Association
The California Craft Brewers Association is a 501(c)6 non-profit trade association protecting the political and legal rights of the California craft brewing industry. The association was formed in 1989 and is the oldest state craft brewers’ trade association in the country. To learn more about the craft beer industry in California, please follow California Craft Brewers Association on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Top Rung Brewing Celebrates 2-year Anniversary On April 16th

Courtesy of Top Rung Brewing CO

March 28, 2016

Top Rung Brewing is excited to announce that we will be celebrating our 2-year anniversary on April 16^th by holding a 2-year Beerbalation at the brewery.  Our Beerbalation will feature a special randalized beer, a special limited bottle release of our Pyrolysis Imperial Stout, South Bay BBQ food truck, Smores, music, games, and for $7.50 you will receive a special commemorative glass with beer of your choice (excluding special release or Imperials).  Come on out and join us at the brewery for a great time!  The event will be 12 to 9.

Courtesy of Top Rung Brewing CO

Top Rung Brewing is a 10-barrel production brewery with tasting room at the brewery. Top Rung Brewing is a destination for craft beer drinkers to enjoy their beverage and view a production brewery facility.  Our tasting room is family friendly and while we will only offer snacks, we partner with local food trucks as well as allow patrons to bring in their own food of their choice or have it delivered. Normal hours are Thursdays 4-9, Fridays 2-9, Saturdays 12-9, and Sundays 12-5.

Fat Tire Flowing from New Belgium’s Asheville Brewery

Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing CO

Asheville, NC - April 4, 2016 –New Belgium Brewing’s flagship Fat Tire Amber Ale is flowing from their Asheville brewery and heading toward draft lines and cold boxes across the eastern United States. With production ramping up over the next few years, the 500,000 barrel capacity, 127,000 square-foot brewery gives the country’s fourth-largest craft brewer 1.5 million barrels of total capacity.

“This is truly a proud moment for all of us here at New Belgium,” said Christine Perich, New Belgium President and CEO. “Over the last 25 years, we have grown from a basement operation to a state-of-the-art brewery with homes on both sides of the country. So many folks have leaned in and helped along the way, we’d love to just take a moment and raise a glass to say ‘thank you’.” 

Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing CO

 New Belgium Brewing started in the basement of a Fort Collins, Colorado home in 1991 and this year will mark the company’s 25th anniversary. The Asheville brewery will focus on producing Fat Tire, while also flavor matching test brews for Ranger IPA and 1554 to finish commissioning the Asheville brewery. They will ramp up brands based on demand. The east coast locale minimizes their distribution footprint and enables the brewery to engage with guests in a meaningful way through tastings and tours. 

“In my two decades working with New Belgium, Fat Tire has never tasted so satisfying,” said Asheville Brewing Manager Alex Dwoinen, reflecting on the accomplishment. “Sipping Asheville brewed Fat Tire in Asheville will definitely be added as one of my best Fat Tire memories.” 

Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing CO

 The Asheville Liquid Center tasting room will open May 2, 2016 and brewery tours will begin later this summer. New Belgium will host an August 27, 2016 CeleBEERation in Asheville, marking their 25th anniversary and Asheville opening. Tickets will be available at www.NewBelgium.com this summer.

ABOUT NEW BELGIUM BREWING
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee- owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses, and a Certified B Corp. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews thirteen year-round beers; Citradelic Tangerine IPA, Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Slow Ride Session IPA, Snapshot Wheat, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsner, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel and a gluten-reduced line, Glutiny Pale Ale and Glutiny Golden Ale. Learn more at www.NewBelgium.com.

Cheers to Belgian Beers Returns For Its 10th Year

Courtesy of Oregon Brewers Guild

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Cheers to Belgian Beers festival annually celebrates the breadth of style and flavors of beers brewed in Belgium. This year’s 10th annual event will take place May 13 and May 14 at The North Warehouse, 723 N Tillamook St. Hours are 1 to 9pm on Friday and Noon to 8pm on Saturday. The festival is unique in that it features up to 70 Belgian-style beers all brewed by Oregon craft brewers using the same single yeast strain.

Admission to the event is free. In order to drink, it costs $20 for a souvenir glass tasting goblet and 10 drink tickets. Beers are available by taster only; most beers cost one ticket for a taste, though some may cost double. Additional tasting tickets are available for $1 apiece. Portland Perks and MercPerks are on sale now; advance tickets will go sale April 8 at http://oregoncraftbeer.org/ctbb. The event is for ages 21 and over.

Cheers to Belgian Beers takes place in The North Warehouse as well as outside in the tented parking lot. Food is available from Monk’s Deli and the Urban German Grill. Street parking is available, but limited. Attendees are encouraged to take public transportation — the TriMet Bus Line 35 stops one block away and the Yellow Max Line stops two blocks away — or ride their bike, with complimentary bike parking available.

While the Cheers to Belgian Beers festival showcases a single yeast strain, the Oregon Brewers Guild first holds a dart throw competition to determine the color and strength of Belgian-style beer that will be brewed for the event. Based on each participating brewery’s dart throw, the brewery will brew a Belgian-style beer that is either light or dark in appearance and either lower or higher in alcohol. Each year’s dart throw ensures there will be diversity in color and strength among the featured beers.

Belgian yeasts are incredibly diverse; this year’s selected yeast strain is Imperial Organic Yeast 58 Lioness, a yeast that shines in red to brown ales, but also works well for light colored beers. Lioness produces white fruit esters that are balanced with clove phenolic aromas.

The festival is still seeking volunteers, which receive a glass, 10 drink tickets, a t-shirt and free admission after their shift. An OLCC Servers Permit is not required to participate as a volunteer server at this event. To sign up visit www.ocb.events-connect.com.

Cheers to Belgian Beers is sponsored by MCF Craft Brewing Systems, Boelter Beverage, The Country Malt Group, Great Western Malting, Imperial Organic Yeast and Portland Mercury.

The event is organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the state’s craft brewing industry and the common interests of its members. Founded in 1992, the Oregon Brewers Guild is one of the nation’s oldest craft brewers associations. The Guild, which receives no state funding, comprises 154 brewing companies, 122 associate or supplier members and more than 3,500 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). To learn more, visit www.oregoncraftbeer.org.

Twitter: @OregonCraftBeer

Facebook: OregonCraftBeer

Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/1710290302518492/

Hashtag: #ctbb