• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • About Craft Brewing Business

Craft Brewing Business

Professional Insight, Unfiltered

  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • COVID-19

U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization

July 14, 2014Keith Gribbins

brewery-brew-house-vessels
3,040 to be precise.

The American brewing industry reached another milestone at the end of June, with more than 3,000 breweries operating for all or part of the month (3,040 to be precise), according to a recent report by the Brewers Association (BA). Although precise numbers from the 19th century are difficult to confirm, this is likely the first time the United States has crossed the 3,000 brewery barrier since the 1870s. Apparently, the Internal Revenue Department counted 2,830 “ale and lager breweries in operation” in 1880, down from a high point of 4,131 in 1873, according to the BA.

Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association, had this to say on the association website:

What does 3,000 breweries mean? For one, it represents a return to the localization of beer production, with almost 99 percent of the 3,040 breweries being small and independent. The majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a local brewery, and with almost 2,000 planning breweries in the BA database, that percentage is only going to climb in the coming years.

Secondly, it means that competition continues to increase, and that brewers will need to further differentiate and focus on quality if they are going to succeed in a crowded marketplace. While a national brewery number is fairly irrelevant without understanding local marketplaces, 3,040 breweries could not happen without increased competition in many localities.

What it does not mean is that we’ve reached a saturation point. Most of the new entrants continue to be small and local, operating in neighborhoods or towns. What it means to be a brewery is shifting, back toward an era when breweries were largely local, and operated as a neighborhood bar or restaurant. How many neighborhoods in the country could still stand to gain from a high-quality brewpub or micro taproom? While a return to the per capita ratio of 1873 seems unlikely (that would mean more than 30,000 breweries), the resurgence of American brewing is far from over.

Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewers Association, is a stats geek and beer lover. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, where in addition to his dissertation, he completed a comprehensive survey of Bay Area brewpubs one pint at a time.

Drum roll…Brewers Association releases the Top 50 brewing companies by sales volume for 2020
beer flow pour glass multiple pictures data-001
The beer flow: tallboys are trending, top IPA SKUs and on-premise taps continue to pour more
National Day of Action! Call, tweet and email Congress today to pass a permanent Craft Beverage Modernization Act
How effective is the craft brewers independent seal?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. WeberPackaging says

    July 19, 2014 at 11:06 am

    U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/MEq63buYZC #craftbeer #DrinkLocal http://t.co/d0CS5ZzeI7

    Log in to Reply
  2. BrewersLaw says

    July 17, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    3k #USbreweries means localization not saturation.#USbeer #localbeer #goodbeer http://t.co/4QiQBQAuna

    Log in to Reply
  3. PrahaBeerGarden says

    July 17, 2014 at 9:02 am

    RT @CzBeer: So there are more than 3 000 US breweries 🙂 http://t.co/5iu0aF0ias

    Log in to Reply
  4. CzBeer says

    July 17, 2014 at 8:44 am

    Tak za Velkou louzi ve Spojenych statech maji uz pres 3 000 pivovaru 🙂 http://t.co/5iu0aF0ias

    Log in to Reply
  5. CzBeer says

    July 17, 2014 at 8:43 am

    So there are more than 3 000 US breweries 🙂 http://t.co/5iu0aF0ias

    Log in to Reply
  6. mrbrewreview says

    July 17, 2014 at 1:00 am

    U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/eG8OTfLC3u via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  7. FPBranders says

    July 16, 2014 at 4:18 pm

    U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/etuzh7RfrF via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  8. domadorayleon says

    July 16, 2014 at 7:03 am

    USA una vez más en la vanguardia¡¡ Esta vez a la vanguardia de la #BeerRevolution: #Calidad y #Respeto en la… http://t.co/JPHCO1HdLP

    Log in to Reply
  9. PaulSchlake says

    July 16, 2014 at 12:31 am

    RT @MarkCalabria: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/frZNUKMSeD

    Log in to Reply
  10. brianruddock says

    July 15, 2014 at 7:24 pm

    RT @MarkCalabria: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/frZNUKMSeD

    Log in to Reply
  11. joshuadking says

    July 15, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    RT @MarkCalabria: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/frZNUKMSeD

    Log in to Reply
  12. Steve_Lafleur says

    July 15, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    RT @MarkCalabria: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/frZNUKMSeD

    Log in to Reply
  13. WilliamFreeland says

    July 15, 2014 at 6:39 pm

    RT @MarkCalabria: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/frZNUKMSeD

    Log in to Reply
  14. MarkCalabria says

    July 15, 2014 at 6:29 pm

    U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/frZNUKMSeD

    Log in to Reply
  15. BrewandCovered says

    July 15, 2014 at 1:27 pm

    This is likely the first time the United States has crossed the 3,000 brewery barrier since the 1870s. http://t.co/yaVZigbGsE

    Log in to Reply
  16. Robert Evans says

    July 15, 2014 at 6:22 am

    Robert Evans liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  17. MarcBarbiere says

    July 14, 2014 at 9:10 pm

    RT @OldBustHead: The majority of Americans now live within 10 miles of a local brewery http://t.co/0JFu8Y3RdQ #craftbeer

    Log in to Reply
  18. InCervesio says

    July 14, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    nuestros hermanos del pais del norte ya alcanzaron oficialmente las 3000 cervecerías operando ¿cuantas tendremos… http://t.co/uUWwrdBSf6

    Log in to Reply
  19. H3Hops says

    July 14, 2014 at 2:33 pm

    RT @OldBustHead: The majority of Americans now live within 10 miles of a local brewery http://t.co/0JFu8Y3RdQ #craftbeer

    Log in to Reply
  20. POHOH3 says

    July 14, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    RT @OldBustHead: The majority of Americans now live within 10 miles of a local brewery http://t.co/0JFu8Y3RdQ #craftbeer

    Log in to Reply
  21. OldBustHead says

    July 14, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    The majority of Americans now live within 10 miles of a local brewery http://t.co/0JFu8Y3RdQ #craftbeer

    Log in to Reply
  22. Don Gregory says

    July 14, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    Don Gregory liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  23. LABeerCoop says

    July 14, 2014 at 1:12 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization. Amazing insight @BrewersAssoc http://t.co/Xwpzc7ssoR

    Log in to Reply
  24. ManbqueColumbus says

    July 14, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    RT @crsimp01: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/3zgcgXD1sD via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  25. crsimp01 says

    July 14, 2014 at 12:34 pm

    U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization http://t.co/3zgcgXD1sD via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  26. MidwestIRC says

    July 14, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: U.S. brewery count tops 3,000, industry shifting to localization. Amazing insight @BrewersAssoc http://t.co/Xwpzc7ssoR

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • Mass. Franchise Law UPDATE: Judge denies Atlantic’s injunction, Jack’s Abby heads to arbitration
  • Georgia’s StillFire Brewing is now accepting Bitcoin
  • Check out Briess’ new website, then enjoy this Journey of Malt video series, showing how barley goes from seed to malt
  • Pro Refrigeration is designing a CO2-based Chiller System

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • brewing lawsuitMass. Franchise Law UPDATE: Judge denies Atlantic’s injunction, Jack’s Abby heads to arbitration
    April 8, 2021
  • Check out Briess’ new website, then enjoy this Journey of Malt video series, showing how barley goes from seed to malt
    April 8, 2021
  • beer healthy glass dumbell working out excercise-001The Beer Flow: better-for-you beer growing, tap volume climbing and RTDs accelerating
    April 6, 2021
  • craft beer sales trendCraft beer sales trends in March: Sours, 16-ouncers trending up, says Tavour
    April 6, 2021
  • Growler-decisionsWatch: Rep. Jim Nash interviews Minnesota craft breweries, shedding light on the state’s useless growler sales cap
    April 5, 2021
  • Brewers Space Guild launches today, pick up some merch
    April 1, 2021

Footer

  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • About Craft Brewing Business
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on Craft Brewing Business
  • Media Kit Download
  • Privacy and Terms

© 2021 · CBB Media LLC

Continue ...

sponsored by