These Are 2021’s Official Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies

The Brewers Association released its annual report of the top 50 U.S. breweries, disaggregated into top 50 overall breweries as well as top 50 craft breweries.

The craft brewing industry saw recovery growth on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, which radically changed beer consumption and production. Small and independent brewers produced 24.8 million barrels of beer and saw 8 percent growth. Craft beer’s overall beer market share by volume grew from 12.2 percent last year to 13.1 percent in 2021.

Despite the relative industry rebound, recovery from COVID is ongoing and is reflected in production levels, said the Brewers Association’s chief economist Bart Watson in the report.

​​“Craft brewer sales rebounded in 2021, lifted by the return of draught and at-the-brewery traffic,” he said. “However, the mixed performance across business models and geographies as well as production levels that still lag 2019 suggest that many breweries remain in recovery mode. Add in continuing supply chain and pricing challenges, and 2022 will be a critical year for many brewers.”

While craft brewery openings dropped for a second consecutive year, the closing rate also declined, a trend the report attributes to increased sales numbers and government relief through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

The list of top 50 craft breweries is led, for the seventh year in a row, by D. G. Yuengling and Son Inc., hailing from Pottsville, Penn. CANarchy overtook Bell’s Brewery, Inc. for the sixth spot, and SweetWater Brewing Co eclipsed Deschutes Brewery in sales for the tenth.

Meanwhile, in the list of top 50 breweries overall, the top ten carried over from last year, led by Anheuser-Busch, Molson-Coors, Constellation, and Heinkein USA.

The full report can be viewed here, and 2020’s results can be seen here.