Brewers Association: 28 of Top 50 Craft Breweries Record Volume Growth; Total Production -4%

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More than half of the Brewers Association’s (BA) top 50 craft breweries recorded year-over-year (YoY) production volume gains in 2024, in a positive shift from 2023 trends, according to annual production data shared by the trade group today.

Twenty-eight top 50 small and independent craft breweries recorded annual volume growth, up from 20 in 2023. Two breweries were flat last year, while the remaining 20 were in the red.

Despite a more positive balance among the top 50 list, total production volume across the 50 largest craft breweries declined 4%, to nearly 11.6 million barrels. The decline follows a 3% YoY increase, to nearly 11.95 million barrels, recorded in 2023. The collective volume accounted for 50.2% of total craft volume, up 0.04 percentage points from 2023 (50.17%).

As reported earlier this year, total craft production volume declined 4% in 2024, to 23.1 million barrels.

Brewbound previously dove into top 10 craft brewery trends (catch up here). Twenty-four of the breweries that recorded YoY production growth were outside of the top 10. Of those 28 breweries, nine recorded double-digit increases, nearly double the number that did so in 2023:

  • No. 18 Craft ‘Ohana (Maui Brewing and Modern Times), +10%, to 115,645 barrels;
  • No. 24 Fiddlehead Brewing, +20%, to 108,143 barrels;
  • No. 30 Abita Brewing, +13%, to 89,091 barrels;
  • No. 31 BrewDog, +26%, to 89,084 barrels;
  • No. 32 Creature Comforts, +11%, to 86,029 barrels;
  • No. 41 pFriem Family Brewers, +22%, to 49,366 barrels;
  • No. 42 Fremont Brewing, +11%, to 48,377 barrels;
  • No. 43 The Florida Brewery, +20%, to 47,961 barrels;
  • No. 47 New Trail Brewing, +19%, to 46,669 barrels.

The 19 remaining top 50 craft breweries (excluding the top 10), recorded single-digit growth between 1% and 9%:

  • No. 11 Deschutes Brewery, +9%, to 248,195 barrels;
  • No. 12 New Glarus Brewing, +2%, to 232,171 barrels;
  • No. 14 Barrel One Collective, +9%, to 125,400 barrels;
  • No. 15 Georgetown Brewing, +3%, to 122,918 barrels;
  • No. 17 Rhinegeist Brewery, +7%, to 118,020 barrels;
  • No. 20 Narragansett Brewing, +1%, to 111,375 barrels;
  • No. 21 Tröegs Brewing, +5%, to 109,576 barrels;
  • No. 23 August Schell Brewing, +1%, to 108,375 barrels;
  • No. 33 Hendler Family Brewing (Jack’s Abby, Wormtown and Night Shift), +1%, to 86,000 barrels;
  • No. 35 Summit Brewing, +9%, to 76,611 barrels;
  • No. 36 Saint Arnold Brewing, +5%, to 65,201 barrels;
  • No. 39 Pizza Port, +9%, to 53,450 barrels;
  • No. 44 BJ’s Restaurants, +1%, to 47,344 barrels;
  • No. 45 Russian River, +9%, to 47,195 barrels;
  • No. 49 Fat Head’s Brewery, +4%, to 45,771 barrels.

Barrel One was formed after the merger of Mass. Bay Brewing (No. 18 in 2023) and Smuttynose (No. 106 in 2023). Its portfolio includes Clown Shoes, Five Boroughs, Harpoon, Long Trail, Smuttynose, UFO and Wachusett. The merger and accompanying production gains helped Barrel One gain four spots from Mass. Bay’s 2023 ranking.

Other new entrants to the top 50 domestic craft brewing companies list included No. 41 pFriem Family Brewers (No. 61 in 2023); No. 42 Fremont, (No. 55 in 2023); No. 43The Florida Brewery (No. 64 in 2023); No. 44 BJ’s Restaurants (did not publish production data in 2023); No. 45 Russian River (No. 56 in 2023); No. 47 New Trail (No. 67 in 2023); No. 48 Zero Gravity (No. 52 in 2023) and No. 49 Fat Head’s (did not publish production data in 2023).

The two top 50 regional breweries to record flat volume include No. 13 Duvel Moortgat (an estimated 167,000 barrels, excluding Firestone Walker volume) and No. 48 Zero Gravity (46,595 barrels).

The steepest top 50 production decline, excluding the top 10, was recorded by No. 38 Kona Brewing Hawaii, Kona’s independent operations in Hawaii, excluding volume from U.S. operations, which are owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B). Kona production volume fell 25%, to 60,000 barrels, dropping Kona six places in the top 50 ranks.

Kona was flat in 2023, following a 20% decline in 2022 and 5% growth in 2021. Kona’s mainland business – which does not fit in the BA’s definition of small and independent craft – recorded a 2% production volume increase.

No. 46 Shipyard Brewing also recorded a double-digit decline in 2024 (-10%, to 47,123 barrels). The remaining top 50 breweries all recorded single-digit declines:

  • No. 16 Gordon Biersch, -3%, to 122,510 barrels;
  • No. 19 Great Lakes Brewing, -1%, to 114,827 barrels;
  • No. 22 Allagash Brewing, -9%, to 109,304 barrels;
  • No. 25 Stevens Point Brewery, -6%, to 107,000 barrels;
  • No. 26 Pittsburgh Brewing, -4%, to 106,766 barrels;
  • No. 27 Three Floyds Brewing, -6%, to 104,866 barrels;
  • No. 28 Odell Brewing, -6%, to 98,212 barrels;
  • No. 29 Great Frontier Holdings, -7%, to 89,460 barrels;
  • No. 34 Alaskan Brewing, -3%, to 62,180 barrels;
  • No. 40 Surly Brewing, -9%, to 52,315 barrels;
  • No. 50 Drake’s/Bear Republic (merged in 2023), -3%, to 45,723 barrels.

The BA’s initial top 50 rankings, published in April, also included Rogue Ales as No. 50. However, the New Brewer edition separates Duvel Moortgat and Duvel USA-owned Firestone into two separate craft breweries, pushing Rogue to No. 51. The Oregon brewery’s production volume declined 18% in 2024, to 45,602 barrels.

Brewbound dove into movement across the top 50 after the April release. Dive into that story here.