The Brewers Association just release a list of the top 50 breweries in the United States. How did Washington fair? Well, it doesn’t matter. Around here we’ve known for a long time that Washington breweries makes some of the best beer that nobody outside of Washington ever gets to drink.
Once again, not a single Washington brewery made the list. Four of Oregon’s breweries and 12 California breweries made the cut, but the Evergreen State is missing. Before you get your boxers in a bunch, recognize that this list is based on sales volume and not somebody’s opinion about who makes the best beer.
Around here, we are beer consumers, not beer exporters. Washington (and Seattle in particular) is one of the top beer markets in the country. Other breweries in other states make beer and ship it here because they know we’ll drink it. Conversely, most of our local breweries struggle to keep up with demand on the home front and the dream of shipping beer to California or Colorado is unrealistic. Also, I’m not sure how many Washington breweries are trying to be the next Boston Beer Company or Sierra Nevada Brewing. We’re pretty chill up here in the PNW.
Anyway, the list is below, along with a map showing which states are represented on the list.
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1 – D. G. Yuengling and Son, Inc – PA
2 – Boston Beer Co – MA
3 – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co – CA
4 – New Belgium Brewing Co – CO
5 – Gambrinus – TX
6 – Lagunitas Brewing Co* – CA
7 – Bell’s Brewery, Inc – MI
8 – Deschutes Brewery – OR
9 – Minhas Craft Brewery – WI
10 – Stone Brewing Co – CA
11 – Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits* – CA
12 – Brooklyn Brewery – NY
13 – Firestone Walker Brewing Co – CA
14 – Oskar Blues Brewing Holding Co – CO
15 – Duvel Moortgat USA – MO/NY
16 – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – DE
17 – Matt Brewing Co – NY
18 – SweetWater Brewing Co – GA
19 – Harpoon Brewery – MA
20 – New Glarus Brewing Co – WI
21 – Great Lakes Brewing Co – OH
22 – Alaskan Brewing Co. – AK
23 – Abita Brewing Co – LA
24 – Anchor Brewing Co – CA
25 – Stevens Point Brewery Co – WI
26 – Victory Brewing Co – PA
27 – August Schell Brewing Co – MN
28 – Long Trail Brewing Co – VT
29 – Summit Brewing Co – MN
30 – Shipyard Brewing Co – ME
31 – Full Sail Brewing Co – OR
32 – Odell Brewing Co – CO
33 – Southern Tier Brewing Co – NY
34 – Rogue Ales Brewery – OR
35 – 21st Amendment Brewery – CA
36 – Ninkasi Brewing Co – OR
37 – Flying Dog Brewery – MD
38 – Narragansett Brewing Co – RI
39 – Left Hand Brewing Company – CO
40 – Uinta Brewing Co – UT
41 – Green Flash Brewing Co – CA
42 – Allagash Brewing Co – ME
43 – Lost Coast Brewery – CA
44 – Bear Republic Brewing Co – CA
45 – Troegs Brewing Co – PA
46 – Karl Strauss Brewing Co – CA
47 – Breckenridge Brewery* – CO
48 – North Coast Brewing Co Inc. – CA
49 – Four Peaks Brewing Co* – AZ
50 – Revolution Brewing Co – IL
* Ballast Point, Breckenridge, Four Peaks and Lagunitas no longer fit the Brewers Association definition of a craft brewery, though they’re still on the list. Craft volume pro-rated in 2015 or will be pro-rated/exiting craft brewer data set in 2016.
