• 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

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

Brewery count reaches historic high, Brewers Association releases mid-year metrics

July 28, 2016CBB Editorial Staff

The craft beer market is changing, but it’s definitely still growing (despite everything else you hear). How do we know? Well, new mid-year data released by the Brewers Association (BA) has confirmed our own suspicions. American craft beer production volume increased eight percent during the first half of the year. Booyahshaka.

“While the craft brewing industry is entering a period of maturation, most markets are not near saturation,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “As craft’s base gets larger, as with any industry, it becomes more difficult for it to grow at the same percentage rate. Yet there is still tremendous dynamism reflected in eight percent growth for craft. Production growth of small and independent craft brewers continues to be one of the main bright spots for domestic beer in the U.S. Even in a more competitive market, for the vast majority of small and independent brewers, opportunities still exist.”

As of June 30, a record high of 4,656 breweries were operating in the U.S, an increase of 917 breweries over the same time period of the previous year. Additionally, there were approximately 2,200 breweries in planning. Craft brewers currently employ an estimated 121,843 full-time and part-time workers in a variety of roles including many manufacturing jobs, all of which contribute significantly to the U.S. economy.

“The opening rate compared to closing rate for breweries remains incredibly strong, with a historic number of breweries operating in the U.S.,” added Watson. “As long as there is growing consumer demand, beer lovers’ thirst will continue to advance the category of craft brewed beer from small and independent producers.”

Note: The data set includes the small and independent breweries that the Brewers Association anticipates being included in the 2016 data set.

Craft brewer definition (according to the BA):

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.

Brewers Association continues to champion the idea of independent breweries, launches new awareness campaign
Brewers Conference 2018 cbb crop speech
The Brewers Association posts keynote videos from Craft Brewers Conference, but one seems to be missing
Anheuser_Busch_InBev
Brewers Association gets gimmicky, wants to crowdfund the purchase of Anheuser-Busch InBev
craft beer growth slows
Monday Fun: Watch this 30-minute video of craft beer’s annual State of the Industry presentation

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. nicamanda68 says

    August 1, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: As of June 30, a record high of 4,656 breweries were operating in the U.S. https://t.co/ss9S8P5uhi https://t.co/OB2VCJ…

    Log in to Reply
  2. UNEX says

    August 1, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: As of June 30, a record high of 4,656 breweries were operating in the U.S. https://t.co/ss9S8P5uhi https://t.co/OB2VCJ…

    Log in to Reply
  3. Beargrylls Sum says

    July 30, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    Beargrylls Sum liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  4. Robert1VB says

    July 29, 2016 at 5:30 pm

    RT @crsimp01: Brewery count reaches historic high, 4,656, says Brewers Association https://t.co/hr2br0GkwT via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  5. Chart_Beverage says

    July 29, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    Brewery count reaches historic high, Brewers Association releases mid-year metrics https://t.co/20hI0NKWcS https://t.co/zlzfAayJzN

    Log in to Reply
  6. VicinityBrew says

    July 29, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    RT @crsimp01: Brewery count reaches historic high, 4,656, says Brewers Association https://t.co/hr2br0GkwT via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  7. izzlemoxle says

    July 29, 2016 at 9:05 am

    RT @crsimp01: Brewery count reaches historic high, 4,656, says Brewers Association https://t.co/hr2br0GkwT via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  8. cbusbrewadv says

    July 29, 2016 at 7:17 am

    RT @crsimp01: Brewery count reaches historic high, 4,656, says Brewers Association https://t.co/hr2br0GkwT via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  9. Jerry Elliott says

    July 28, 2016 at 11:51 pm

    Jerry Elliott liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  10. 7Monks says

    July 28, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    RT @crsimp01: Brewery count reaches historic high, 4,656, says Brewers Association https://t.co/hr2br0GkwT via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  11. LiberJackWeb says

    July 28, 2016 at 6:31 pm

    https://t.co/npNYsnyDyc

    #craftbeer #beer #craftbrewing

    Log in to Reply
  12. crsimp01 says

    July 28, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    Brewery count reaches historic high, 4,656, says Brewers Association https://t.co/hr2br0GkwT via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  13. Adam Holtvogt says

    July 28, 2016 at 4:36 pm

    Adam Holtvogt liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  14. Jeff Platt says

    July 28, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    Jeff Platt liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  15. Amy Fischer says

    July 28, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    Amy Fischer liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • Cadaverine: When your beer smells like dead human
  • Unfiltered: There are weevils in my grain – what do I do?
  • Festo takes new approach with VZXA angle seat valves
  • People news: Industry icon John Mallett steps down from Bell’s + moves from Craft ‘Ohana, BrewDog USA and more

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • Cadaverine: When your beer smells like dead human
    January 26, 2023
  • beer taps brain distribution cbb cropUnfiltered: There are weevils in my grain – what do I do?
    January 26, 2023
  • People news: Industry icon John Mallett steps down from Bell’s + moves from Craft ‘Ohana, BrewDog USA and more
    January 25, 2023
  • Premium beer products were one of the top growth markets of 2022, says IWSR 
    January 23, 2023
  • Fair State Brewing Cooperative launches Minnesota’s first cannabis beverage fulfillment, copacking and distribution center
    January 23, 2023
  • Fat-Tire-cansFat Tire and other craft beer legacy brand updates to know in 2023
    January 17, 2023

Footer

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

© 2023 · CBB Media LLC