The Brewers Association in Boulder, Colo. just released some statistics about the mid-years sales of craft beer and the number of breweries in America. From the press release:

Dollar growth from craft brewers during the first half of 2009 increased 9%, down from 11% growth during the same period in 2008. Volume of craft brewed beer sold grew 5% for the first six months in 2009, compared to 6.5% growth in the first half of 2008. Barrels sold by craft brewers for the first half of the year is an estimated 4.2 million, compared to 4 million barrels sold in the first half of 2008.

The other big news in the release is that the number of breweries operating in America now stands at 1,525, the highest number in a century.

As the press release stresses, that’s due almost entirely to the growth of craft beer:

The U.S. now boasts 1,525 breweries, the highest number in 100 years when consolidation and the run up to Prohibition reduced the number of breweries to 1,498 in 1910. “The U.S. has more breweries than any other nation and produces a greater diversity of beer styles than anywhere else, thanks to craft brewer innovation,” Gatza added.

Some other interesting tidbits:

• Growth of the craft brewing industry in the first half of 2009 was 5% by volume and 9% by dollars.
• Craft brewers sold an estimated 4.2 million barrels of beer in the first half of 2009, up from 4 million barrels in the first half of 2008.
• Overall US beer sales are down 1.3% in the first 6 months of 2009.
• Imported beer sales are down 9.5% in the first 6 months.
• Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2008 was 5.9% by volume and 10.1% by dollars.
• The craft brewing industry produced nearly 8.6 million barrels of craft beer in the US in 2008.
• The craft brewing sales share as of December ’08 was 4% by volume and 6.3% by dollars.
• Total US craft brewing industry annual dollar volume is $6.3 billion.