The Brewers Association today released its annual rankings of the top 50 U.S. beer companies based on 2017 sales volume estimates. Here’s how things shook out:

Following a year of flat sales at off-premise retail in 2017, U.S. beer dollar sales increased 3 percent through the first four weeks of 2018, according to retail data provider IRI Worldwide. IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm that tracks category-wide sales trends at off-premise retailers, reported total U.S. dollar sales of about $2.2 billion through January 28 in its multi-outlet and convenience (MULC) universe of stores (grocery, drug, club, dollar, mass-merchandiser and military).

On January 25, 2018, BridgePort Brewing reached new heights with its signature IPA-style brew, shooting it into space to mark multiple milestones for the 34-year-old Portland-based brewery.

Spoetzl Brewery, brewer of Shiner Bock, announces a $1.2 million Super Bowl spot to be featured on Sunday, February 4, 2018 in the next phase of the ‘This is Shiner Country’ campaign.

Fighting an ugly court case, but in charge of distributing more than a half-million cases of beer annually, Northern Nevada-based beer wholesaler Crown Beverages ceased operations on June 30, Brewbound has learned. Many of the beer brands Crown once distributed have found a new route to market via competing wholesalers that deliver to retailers in the area.

The Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas, craft brewer of Shiner Bock, announced today a $100,000 contribution to non-profit organizations to support relief efforts in Florida following Hurricane Irma.

Production at 25 of the top 50 Brewers Association-defined craft breweries didn’t grow last year, according new data released today by the trade organization.

Oregon State University announced it will build a new research brewery thanks to a six-figure donation from Gambrinus chief Carlos Alvarez. Alvarez, the CEO and chairman of the Gambrinus Company – which owns BridgePort Brewing, Spoetzl Brewery, Trumer Brewery, and Tappeto Volante – has gifted the school with $1 million to build the brewery in the university’s Wiegand Hall Pilot Plant Facility.

The next toehold for Gambrinus as it attempts to fill out a national distribution footprint for Shiner, its most popular brand, will be Massachusetts. Gambrinus, the country’s fourth-largest craft brewery, will launch Shiner in the Bay State in late July, Burke Distributing’s vice president of sales, Scott Adams, confirmed to Brewbound.

Manhattan Beer Distributors, one of the country’s largest beer wholesalers, confirmed to Brewbound.com that it has signed distribution agreements with three top 50 craft beer brands: Shiner, Schlafly and Pyramid. The Bronx, NY-based wholesaler will launch the Shiner brand of beers — owned by The Gambrinus Company — throughout New York City today.