The Brewers Association Top 50 of 2012

The Brewers Association released its list of the top 50 craft breweries today, and while the top five has remained intact, there were some risers and fallers of note.

Lagunitas, which is close to launching a new brewing facility in Chicago, jumped from No. 9 in 2011 to No. 6 in 2012. This switch descended Matt Brewing from No. 6 in 2011 to No. 8 in 2012. Meanwhile, Stone Brewing cracked the top 10, moving from No. 11 in 2011 to No. 10 in 2012, with Boulevard falling from No. 10 in 2011 to No. 12 in 2012.

The top rookie on this year’s list is Cold Spring Brewing Co./Third Street Brewhouse, which debuts at No. 28. And benefiting from the craft-loving Northeast, Southern Tier Brewing Co. leaped into the top 50, landing at No. 37. Also climbing the list, Left Hand jumped from No. 49 in 2011 to No. 43 in 2012, while Founders moved from No. 42 in 2011 to No. 30 in 2012. Other brewery debuts on the list include Ballast Point at No. 46, Allasgash at No. 48, Uinta at No. 49, and Tr├Âegs at No. 50.

Here is the full list of the Top 50 craft brewers (based on 2012 sales volume), according to the Brewers Association:

RankCOMPANYCityState
1Boston Beer Co.BostonMA
2Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.ChicoCA
3New Belgium Brewing Co.Fort CollinsCO
4The Gambrinus Co.San AntonioTX
5Deschutes BreweryBendOR
6Lagunitas Brewing Co.PetalumaCA
7Bell’s Brewery, Inc.GalesburgMI
8Matt Brewing Co.UticaNY
9Harpoon BreweryBostonMA
10Stone Brewing Co.EscondidoCA
11Brooklyn BreweryBrooklynNY
12Boulevard Brewing Co.Kansas CityMO
13Dogfish Head Craft BreweryMiltonDE
14Abita Brewing Co.Abita SpringsLA
15Shipyard Brewing Co.PortlandME
16Alaskan Brewing Co.JuneauAK
17New Glarus Brewing Co.New GlarusWI
18Long Trail Brewing Co.Bridgewater CornersVT
19Great Lakes Brewing Co.ClevelandOH
20Firestone Walker Brewing Co.Paso RoblesCA
21Anchor Brewing Co.San FranciscoCA
22Rogue AlesNewportOR
23Summit Brewing Co.St. PaulMN
t. 24Full Sail Brewing Co.Hood RiverOR
t. 24SweetWater Brewing Co.AtlantaGA
26Victory Brewing Co.DowningtownPA
27Oskar Blues BreweryLongmontCO
28Cold Spring Brewing Co./Third Street BrewhouseCold SpringMN
29Flying Dog BreweryFrederickMD
30Founders Brewing Co.Grand RapidsMI
31Ninkasi Brewing Co.EugeneOR
32CraftWorks Restaurants & Breweries, Inc.Chattanooga, TN & Louisville, CO
33Odell Brewing Co.Fort CollinsCO
34Bear Republic Brewing Co.CloverdaleCA
35Stevens Point Brewery Co.Stevens PointWI
36Blue Point Brewing Co.PatchogueNY
37Southern Tier Brewing Co.LakewoodNY
38Lost Coast Brewery and CafeEurekaCA
39Karl Strauss Brewing Co.San DiegoCA
40BJ’s Chicago Pizza & Brewery, Inc.Huntington BeachCA
41Breckenridge BreweryDenverCO
42North Coast Brewing Co.Fort BraggCA
43Left Hand Brewing Co.LongmontCO
44St. Louis Brewery, Inc./Schlafly BeersSt. LouisMO
45Saint Arnold Brewing Co.HoustonTX
46Ballast Point Brewing Co.San DiegoCA
47Big Sky Brewing Co.MissoulaMT
48Allagash Brewing Co.PortlandME
49Uinta Brewing Co.Salt Lake CityUT
50Tr├Âegs Brewing Co.HersheyPA