Top 50 breweries in the US revealed 

Production figures for the US brewing industry, listing the top breweries, have been released by the Brewers Association.

The list collating the top 50 producing craft brewing companies and overall brewing companies in the US is based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies in 2023, 40 were small and independent craft brewing companies.

Topping the list and making the top five craft brewing companies were D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc, followed by Boston Beer Co, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, Duvel Moortgat and Gambrinus.

Making the top five overall brewing companies were Anheuser-Busch Inc, followed by Molson Coors, Constellation, Heineken USA and Pabst Brewing Co.

According to the report findings, the number of operating craft breweries continued to climb in 2023, reaching an all-time high of 9,683, including 2,071 microbreweries, 3,467 brewpubs, 3,900 taproom breweries, and 245 regional craft breweries.

The total US operating brewery count was 9,812, up from 9,730 in 2022. Throughout the year, there were 495 new brewery openings and 418 closings. Openings decreased for a second consecutive year, with the trend reflecting a more mature market. The closing rate increased in 2023 but continued to remain relatively low, at approximately 4%.

Driven by the growing number of breweries and a continued shift to hospitality-focused business models, craft brewers directly employed 191,421 people in 2023, a 1.1% increase from 2022.

Commenting on the data, Brewers Association vice president of strategy and chief economist Bart Watson said: “2023 was another competitive and challenging year for small and independent brewers. Nevertheless, even as growth has downshifted, small brewers have proved quite resilient, as seen in the increase in number of breweries, relatively low closing rates, and gains in onsite sales and jobs.”

The report has shown that, collectively, small and independent brewers produced 23.4 million barrels of beer in 2023, a decline of 1.0% from 2022, though craft’s overall beer market share by volume grew to 13.3%, up from 13.1% in 2022 as craft’s declines were smaller than overall beer volume losses.

The Brewers Association outlined that the overall beer market shrank 5.1% by volume in 2023. Retail dollar value was estimated at US$28.6 billion, representing a 24.5% market share and 3% growth over a comparable value in 2022. Sales growth was stronger than volume primarily due to pricing but also due to slightly stronger onsite sales growth versus distribution.

Watson explained: “As always, the beverage alcohol market and consumer demand continue to evolve. Many brewers are accordingly updating their operations to match those changes, focusing on their business models, go-to-market strategies, and brand strategies to help their businesses match those shifts.”

Watson added: “While distribution is as competitive as ever, we continue to see success stories and pockets of growth across the top 50 list. Even in an era of slow growth, the strongest brands still resonate with beer drinkers, regardless of company size or location.”

The full lists of the breweries leading in the US are detailed below.

Top 50 craft brewing companies

Top 50 overall brewing companies