Today’s infographic is another one from CraftBeer.com, the Brewers Associations consumer website. This one, an article entitled When Craft Beer Goes Bad, was penned by Andy Sparhawk, and included this infographic showing common beer defects and their possible cause.
The Top 50 Annotated 2012
This is my seventh annual annotated list of the Top 50 so you can see who moved up and down, who was new to the list and who dropped off. So here is this year’s list again annotated with how they changed compared to last year.
- Anheuser-Busch InBev; #1 last seven years, no surprises
- MillerCoors; ditto for #2
- Pabst Brewing; ditto for #3
- D. G. Yuengling and Son; Same as last year
- Boston Beer Co.; Same as last year
- North American Breweries; 3rd year on the list, same position as last year
- Sierra Nevada Brewing; Same as last year
- New Belgium Brewing; Same as last year
- Craft Brewers Alliance; Same as last year
- Gambrinus Company; Same as last year
- Minhas Craft Brewery; Up 3 from #14 last year
- Deschutes Brewery; Down one from #11 last year
- Lagunitas Brewing; Up 3 from #16 last year after jumping up 10 from #26 the previous year, having been at #36 three years back
- Bell’s Brewery; Down 1 from #13 last year
- Matt Brewing; Down 3 from #12 last year
- Harpoon Brewery; Down 1 from #15 last year
- Stone Brewing; Up 1 from #18 last year
- Brooklyn Brewery; Up 2 from #20 last year, after jumping up 5 the year before
- Boulevard Brewing; Down 2 from #17 last year
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Down 1 from last year, after being up 5, 9, 5 and 4 the four previous years
- Abita Brewing; Up 4 from #25 last year
- World Brew/Winery Exchange; Up 4 from #26 last year, after jumping up 11 the previous year
- Shipyard Brewing; Up 1 from last year, having moved up 4 the prior year
- Alaskan Brewing; Down 2 from #21 last year, their second drop in as many years
- August Schell Brewing; Down 2 from last year, also their second drop in as many years
- New Glarus Brewing; Up 2 again this year from #28 last year
- Long Trail Brewing; Down 5 from #22 last year
- Great Lakes Brewing; Down 1 from last year, after jumping up 4 the previous year
- Firestone Walker Brewing; Up 4 from #33 last year, after rising 3 spots the year before
- Anchor Brewing; Up 2 from #32 last year
- Rogue Ales Brewery; Up 5 from #36 last year
- Summit Brewing; Down 1 from #31 last year
- Full Sail Brewing; Down 4 from #29 last year
- SweetWater Brewing; Up 1 from #35 last year, having rise 3 the year before
- Victory Brewing; Up 4 from #39 last year
- Oskar Blues Brewing; Up 5 from #36 last year, having jumped up 8 the previous year
- Pittsburgh Brewing (fka Iron City); Down 7 from #30 last year
- Mendocino Brewing; Down 1 from #37 last year
- Cold Spring Brewing; Down 5 from #34 last year, after jumping up 13 the prior year
- Flying Dog Brewery; Down 2 from #38 last year
- Founders Brewing; Not in Top 50 last year
- Ninkasi Brewing; Up 2 from #44 last year
- CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants (Gordon Biersch/Rock Bottom); Down 3 from #40 last year, after the two merged during 2011 and were #42 and #48 in the year before the merger
- Odell Brewing; Down 2 from #42 last year
- Bear Republic Brewing; Up 2 in their second year on the list
- Stevens Point Brewery; Down 3 from #43 last year
- Blue Point Brewing; Down 1 from #46 last year
- Southern Tier Brewing; Not in Top 50 last year
- Lost Coast Brewery; Same as last year in their second year on the list
- Karl Strauss Breweries; San Diego CA; Not in Top 50 last year
Not too much movement this year, except for a few small shufflings. Only three new breweries made the list; Founders, Southern Tier and Karl Strauss.
Off the list was BJs Restaurant & Brewery, Narragansett Brewing and Goose Island Beer, which had plummeted 30 from #18 the year before, after selling their production brewery to Anheuser-Busch InBev.
If you want to see the previous annotated lists for comparison, here is 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.
Top 50 Breweries For 2012
The Brewers Association has also just announced the top 50 breweries in the U.S. based on sales, by volume, for 2012. This includes all breweries, regardless of size or other parameters. Here is the new list:
- Anheuser-Busch InBev; St Louis MO
- MillerCoors; Chicago IL
- Pabst Brewing; Woodridge IL
- D. G. Yuengling and Son; Pottsville PA
- Boston Beer Co.; Boston MA
- North American Breweries; Rochester, NY
- Sierra Nevada Brewing; Chico CA
- New Belgium Brewing; Fort Collins CO
- Craft Brewers Alliance, Inc.; Portland, OR
- Gambrinus Company; San Antonio TX
- Minhas Craft Brewery; Monroe WI
- Deschutes Brewery; Bend OR
- Lagunitas Brewing; Petaluma CA
- Bell’s Brewery; Galesburg MI
- Matt Brewing; Utica NY
- Harpoon Brewery; Boston, MA
- Stone Brewing; Escondido CA
- Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn NY
- Boulevard Brewing; Kansas City MO
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Miilton DE
- Abita Brewing; New Orleans LA
- World Brews/Winery Exchange; Novato CA
- Shipyard Brewing; Portland ME
- Alaskan Brewing; Juneau AK
- August Schell Brewing; New Ulm MN
- New Glarus Brewing; New Glarus WI
- Long Trail Brewing; Burlington VT
- Great Lakes Brewing; Cleveland OH
- Firestone Walker Brewing; Paso Robles CA
- Anchor Brewing; San Francisco CA
- Rogue Ales Brewery; Newport OR
- Summit Brewing; Saint Paul MN
- Full Sail Brewing; Hood River OR
- SweetWater Brewing; Atlanta GA
- Victory Brewing; Downington PA
- Oskar Blues Brewery; Longmont CO
- Pittsburgh Brewing; Pittsburgh PA
- Mendocino Brewing; Ukiah CA
- Cold Spring Brewing; Cold Spring MN
- Flying Dog Brewery; Frederick MD
- Founders Brewing; Grand Rapids MI
- Ninkasi Brewing; Eugene OR
- CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants (Gordon Biersch/Rock Bottom); Chattanooga TN/Louisville KY
- Odell Brewing; Fort Collins CO
- Bear Republic Brewing; Cloverdale CA
- Stevens Point Brewery; Stevens Point WI
- Blue Point Brewing; Patchogue NY
- Southern Tier Brewing; Lakewood NY
- Lost Coast Brewery; Eureka CA
- Karl Strauss Breweries; San Diego CA
Here is this year’s press release.
Top 50 Craft Breweries For 2012
The Brewers Association just announced the top 50 craft breweries in the U.S. based on sales, by volume, for 2012, which is listed below here. For the sixth year, they’ve also released a list of the top 50 breweries, which includes all breweries. Here is the new craft brewery list:
- Boston Beer Co.; Boston MA
- Sierra Nevada Brewing; Chico CA
- New Belgium Brewing; Fort Collins CO
- Gambrinus Company; San Antonio TX
- Deschutes Brewery; Bend OR
- Lagunitas Brewing; Petaluma CA
- Bell’s Brewery; Galesburg MI
- Matt Brewing; Utica NY
- Harpoon Brewery; Boston, MA
- Stone Brewing; Escondido CA
- Brooklyn Brewery; Brooklyn NY
- Boulevard Brewing; Kansas City MO
- Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Milton DE
- Abita Brewing; New Orleans LA
- Shipyard Brewing; Portland ME
- Alaskan Brewing; Juneau AK
- New Glarus Brewing; New Glarus WI
- Long Trail Brewing; Bridgewater Corners VT
- Great Lakes Brewing; Cleveland OH
- Firestone Walker Brewing; Paso Robles CA
- Anchor Brewing; San Francisco CA
- Rogue Ales/Oregon Brewing; Newport OR
- Summit Brewing; Saint Paul MN
- Full Sail Brewing; Hood River OR
- Sweetwater Brewing; Atlanta GA
- Victory Brewing; Downingtown PA
- Oskar Blues Brewery; Longmont CO
- Cold Spring Brewing/Third Street Brewhouse; Cold Spring MN
- Flying Dog Brewery; Frederick MD
- Founders Brewing; Grand Rapids MI
- Ninkasi Brewing; Eugene, OR
- CraftWorks Breweries & Restaurants (Gordon Biersch/Rock Bottom); Chattanooga TN/Louisville KY
- Odell Brewing; Fort Collins CO
- Bear Republic Brewing; Cloverdale CA
- Stevens Point Brewing; Stevens Point WI
- Blue Point Brewing; Patchogue NY
- Southern Tier Brewing; Lakewood NY
- Lost Coast Brewery; Eureka CA
- Karl Strauss Breweries; San Diego CA
- BJs Chicago Pizza & Brewery; Huntington Beach CA
- Breckenridge Brewery; Denver CO
- North Coast Brewing; Fort Bragg CA
- Left Hand Brewing; Longmont CO
- St. Louis Brewery, Inc./Schlafly Beers; St Louis MO
- Saint Arnold Brewing; Houston TX
- Ballast Point Brewing; San Diego CA
- Big Sky Brewing; Missoula MT
- Allagash Brewing; Portland ME
- Uinta; Salt Lake City UT
- Tröegs Brewing; Hershey PA
Five breweries are new to this year’s Top 50 Craft Breweries list; Cold Spring Brewing/Third Street Brewhouse, Southern Tier Brewing, Ballast Point Brewing, Allagash and Tröegs Brewing. Here is this year’s press release.
I’ll have my annual annotated list shortly.
Kim Jordan’s Keynote Address 2013
At this year’s Craft Brewers Conference, the keynote address was given by Kim Jordan from New Belgium Brewing. The context of Jordan being asked this year to speak is because ten years ago, when CBC was in New Orleans, she gave an optimistic keynote speech then predicting that craft beer would break the 10% barrier. While we’re not quite there yet — the current estimate is 6.5% of volume — great progress has been made and the future certainly looks rosier than it did in 2003. As someone who was sitting in the audience in New Orleans during that keynote, I was keen to hear what Kim would have to say a decade later. Below is a photo I took of Jordan giving that speech in 2003.
Below is my video of Kim Jordan’s keynote address. Technical difficulties (okay, I was slow on the draw) delayed the start and I missed the first few seconds, probably no more than 30 seconds worth. Also, due to YouTube’s size limitations, I had to break it into two parts in order to upload it. Enjoy.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Craft Beer Growth Continued To Skyrocket In 2012
Today’s infographic is a timely one, and was released just this morning. The Brewers Association today released the preliminary numbers for beer sales last year. Not surprisingly, the 2012 numbers look great, and continue the trend in recent years of forward momentum for craft beer. The big news is simple. “In a year when the total U.S. beer market grew by one percent, craft brewers saw a 15 percent rise in volume and a 17 percent increase in dollar growth.”
But here’s a bit more, from the press release:
With production at 13,235,917 barrels in 2012, craft brewers reached 6.5 percent volume of the total U.S. beer market, up from 5.7 percent the previous year. Additionally, craft dollar share of the total U.S. beer market reached 10.2 percent in 2012, as retail dollar value from craft brewers was estimated at $10.2 billion, up from $8.7 billion in 2011.
Also, the number of breweries continues to rise at an amazing pace. The surprising thing to notice is that the growth is almost entirely in production breweries, which increased 44%!
In 2012, there was an 18 percent increase in the number of U.S. operating breweries, with the total count reaching 2,403. The count includes 409 new brewery openings and only 43 closings. Small breweries created an estimated 4,857 more jobs during the year, employing 108,440 workers, compared to 103,583 the year prior.
And here’s all of that good news, distilled into a colorful infographic.
BA Releases New Style Guidelines
The Brewers Association this morning released the 2013 Style Guidelines. According to the press release:
Updated annually, this year’s version defines 142 styles of beer, up from 140 in 2012.
Compiling the guidelines annually is a collaborative effort, and the 2013 version incorporates more than 100 suggestions from U.S. and international beer judges and experts, brewers and beer lovers. This year, Adambier and Grätzer styles were added for the first time. Both are historic pre-Reinheitsgebot styles that are making a slow revival among U.S. and international brewers. Adambier and Grätzer are historically smoky ales, with the former thriving in and around Dortmund, Germany, and the latter brewed primarily in Poland.
Changes were also made to the guidelines for American wheat ale, reflecting a growing trend in the craft brewing and homebrewing communities by which all-wheat grists are used in the brewing process.
A pdf of the new guidelines can be downloaded at the Brewers Association website.
More Mid-Year Brewery Numbers
Earlier this month the Brewers Association released the good news that Craft Beer Grows 14% In First Half Of 2012. That was through the end of June. I hate to keep crowing about the numbers, but it’s hard to ignore, especially having lived through the depressing late 90s when optimism for craft beer was at its nadir. Anyway, here’s where we are just a month later, as of July 31 of this year.
- U.S. operating breweries is at 2,142, up from 2,126 at the end of June.
- U.S. breweries in planning is at 1,303, up from 1,252 at the end of June.
- There are 555 more breweries in planning than a year ago and 347 more operating U.S. breweries.
Crazy times.
Craft Beer Grows 14% In First Half Of 2012
More great news for craft beer. The Brewers Association announced today that dollar growth for craft beer is up 14% over the first half of this year. For the same period, volume was also up 12%.
From the press release:
“Generally, most craft brewers are continuing to see strong growth in production, sales, brewing capacity and employment, which is to be celebrated during challenged times for many of today’s small businesses,” said Paul Gatza, director, Brewers Association. “Plus it’s a fact that beer drinkers are responding to the quality and diversity created by small American brewing companies. India pale ales, seasonal beers, Belgian-inspired ales and a range of specialty beers are just a few of the beer styles that are growing rapidly.”
The other piece of great news is the rising number of breweries, with new ones opening seemingly every day. The American brewery count now stands at 2,126, representing 350 new brewery openings since June 2011!
More from the press release:
The BA also tracks breweries in planning as an indicator of potential new entrants into the craft category, and lists 1,252 breweries in planning today compared to 725 a year ago. Additionally, the count of craft brewers was at 2,075 as of June 30, 2012 showing that 97 percent of U.S. brewers are craft brewers.
“Beer-passionate Americans are opening breweries at a rate faster than at any time since the day Prohibition ended for the beverage of moderation,” Gatza added. “There is nearly a new brewery opening for every day of the year, benefiting beer lovers and communities in every area across the country.”
Craft Beer Breaks The 5% Pint Glass Ceiling
Wow, the Brewers Association just released their annual data on U.S. craft brewing, for calendar year 2011, and the news is remarkable. “Craft brewers saw volume rise 13 percent, with a 15 percent increase in retail sales from 2010 to 2011, representing a total barrel increase of 1.3 million.”
From the press release:
In 2011, craft brewers represented 5.68 percent of volume of the U.S. beer market, up from 4.97 in 2010, with production reaching 11,468,152 barrels. Additionally, the BA estimates the actual dollar sales figure from craft brewers in 2011 was $8.7 billion, up from $7.6 billion in 2010. Increased retails sales represented 9.1 percent of the $95.5 million dollar U.S. beer market.
“While the overall beer market experienced a 1.32 percent volume decrease in 2011, craft brewing saw significant growth, surpassing five percent total market volume share for the first time,” said Paul Gatza, director, Brewers Association. “It’s becoming increasingly clear that with the variety of styles and flavors to choose from, Americans are developing a strong taste for high-quality, small-batch beer from independent brewers.”
Some other interesting tidbits gleaned from the news. The total number of U.S. breweries now stands at 1,989, just 11 shy of reaching 2,000. Of those, 1,938 are considered by the BA’s definition to be craft breweries. Small breweries accounted for over 103,000 jobs. But just wow: 13.2%! That’s the biggest volume increase that I can remember. And that’s an especially grand number since for the same period, total beer market volume declined. By dollars, craft beer rose a staggering 15% to 9.1% of the total market, getting us ever closer to the elusive, but often-talked about, 10% goal that many feel would be a watershed moment for craft beer.
More from the release:
With 250 brewery openings and only 37 closings, the BA also reported that 1,989 breweries were operating in the U.S. in 2011—an 11 percent increase from the previous year. Small brewers employed approximately 103,585 workers in the U.S in 2011.
“We saw rapid growth in brewery openings last year, particularly with microbrewery start-ups, and these numbers are poised to rise even more in 2012,” added Gatza. “In February 2012, we already topped 2,000 operating breweries—a truly remarkable milestone. We look forward to even more success and the continued expansion of the craft beer market.”