The Brewers Association, the trade group that represents more than 7,200 craft breweries nationwide, has released its annual Top 50 U.S. Craft Breweries and Top 50 U.S. Overall Breweries rankings, based on 2018 beer sales volume. The Overall listing includes both craft and non- craft breweries and craft beer fans will be happy to know that 40 out of the 50 largest breweries overall are, in fact, craft brewing operations.
Taking a look at newcomers to this year’s Top 50, there are exactly 2:
- Georgetown Brewing, #41
- Modern Times Brewing, #45
And, of course, if there are two breweries debuting in the Top 50, there must be two that dropped off the list. They are:
- Green Flash Brewing, Previously ranked #43
- Avery Brewing, Previously ranked #50
I have been hearing quite a bit about Modern Times Brewing, so its ascension into the Top 50 isn’t surprising. In contrast, I haven’t heard much about Georgetown Brewing, but that is likely due to its limited distribution and its Seattle location, which is far away from my home base of Houston, Texas. They are obviously growing and doing quite well to debut this high on the list.
Avery Brewing is no longer ranked, but when you’re in the #50 position like Avery was last year, dropping off the list is always a possibility. All it takes is a quick surge from competitors and you’re no longer going to make the cut, even if you actually gained in overall sales. Green Flash, on the other hand, had a year the brewery and its personnel would like to erase from existence, if it was possible. 2018 witnessed the closure of Green Flash’s Virginia Brewing and the sale of the business to a group of investors.
Looking at other significant movements on the positive end, Allagash, Three Floyds, and Wachusett all moved up 6 positions in the rankings and Rhinegeist and Surly Brewing each moved forward 5 places. On the losing end, Bear Republic dropped 7 spots, Left Hand Brewing fell 6 positions, and Uinta declined by 5. But the biggest demise of all was Full Sail Brewing. The decades- old Hood River Oregon brewing operation slipped 15 spots, dropping from #29 last year to #44 this year and making me wonder if there are serious problems on the near horizon for this veteran of the business.
Here are the full rankings for 2018:
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