Nearly three-fifths of Brewers Association (BA) defined regional craft breweries (57.02%) beyond the top 50 recorded production volume declines in 2024, according to annual data shared by the trade association in the May/June issue of the New Brewer magazine.
The percentage of breweries in decline was up compared to 2023 (43.9%) and 2022 (47%).
The BA defines regional craft breweries as those who produce more than 15,000 barrels of beer annually and sell the majority of their volume through distribution. Breweries who elected not to publish production numbers are excluded from rankings.
Of the 121 regional craft breweries ranked below the top 50, 68 recorded a year-over-year (YoY) decline in production volume. Forty-four breweries (36.36%) recorded production volume growth, while eight (6.61%) were flat.
Regional craft recorded a 3.1% decline in collective production volume in 2024, outperforming the overall craft segment (-3.9%), as well as taprooms (-4.1%) and microbreweries (-7.5%).
(Brewbound previously analyzed production data for the top 10 and remaining top 50 craft breweries, as well as big beer craft. Dive into the numbers in the links above.)
Of the 68 breweries to record volume declines, 29 posted double-digit losses, led by No. 69 Kings & Convicts/Ballast Point (-60%, to 35,303 barrels). Ballast Point ceased operations at its Miramar, California production facility in April 2024, moving to contract production. The brewery and its parent company fell 39 places from its 2023 BA ranking, when it ranked No. 30.
Kings & Convicts acquired Ballast Point in 2019 from Constellation Brands, which had acquired the brand in 2015 for $1 billion. Ballast Point’s post-deal production peaked at 91,110 barrels in 2022, according to the BA. Its 2024 volume marked a loss of more than 55,800 barrels from that high point.
Significant production declines between 2023 and 2024 were also recorded by No. 144 Minhas Craft Brewery (-55%, to 17,419 barrels) and No. 138 Full Sail Brewing (-31%, to 17,686 barrels).
Minhas also recorded the largest production decline between 2020 (123,066 barrels) and 2024 (17,419). The brewery is also a contract brewing facility, so it is unclear how much of that production volume, if any, is contract volume produced for other breweries. The latest volume drop follows a 76% decline in 2023.
Other regional breweries with double-digit declines in 2024 included:
- No. 51 Rogue Ales Brewery, -18%, to 45,602 barrels;
- No. 53 Coronado Brewing -11%, to 43, 273 barrels;
- No. 62 North Coast Brewing, -10%, to 38,374;
- No. 71 Highland Brewing, -16%, to 34,378 barrels;
- No. 76 Belching Beaver Brewery, -20%, to 30,906 barrels;
- No. 78 SanTan Brewing, -18%, to 30,603 barrels;
- No. 81 Uinta Brewing, -11%, to 29,597 barrels;
- No. 88 River Horse Brewing, -25%, to 26,814 barrels;
- No. 89 Ackley Brands, -12%, to 26,707 barrels;
- No. 90 Sloop Brewing, -17%, to 26,359 barrels;
- No. 93 Left Hand Brewing, -10%, to 25,604 barrels;
- No. 100 Foothills Brewing, -12%, to 23,821 barrels;
- No. 103 21st Amendment Brewery, -28%, to 23,217 barrels;
- No. 106 Hi-Wire Brewing, -11%, to 22,515 barrels;
- No. 112 Fulton Beer, -15%, to 21,461 barrels;
- No. 113 Schlafly Beer/The Saint Louis Brewery, -21%, to 21,369 barrels;
- No. 117 Fort Point Beer, -16%, to 21,021 barrels;
- No. 120 Untitled Art, -14%, to 20,764 barrels;
- No. 130 Made By The Water (Faubourg, Catawba, Oyster City and Palmetto), -26%, to 18,675 barrels;
- No. 132 Buoy Beer, -10%, to 18,497 barrels;
- No. 151 Upslope Brewing, -18%, to 17,056 barrels;
- No. 155 Great Divide Brewing, -10%, to 16,598 barrels;
- No. 164 Knee Deep Brewing, -15%, to 15,387 barrels;
- No. 168 Community Beer Co, -31%, to 15,279 barrels;
- No. 169 Silver City Brewery, -21%, to 15,198 barrels.
Foothills, Highland and Hi-Wire are all located in North Carolina, with the latter two operating production hubs in Asheville, which was severely affected by Hurricane Helene at the end of 2024. The storm and ensuing damage undoubtedly had an impact on production as their facilities and communities continue to rebuild.
Made By The Water was the 50th largest BA-defined craft brewery in 2022, producing 51,000 barrels – a 17% increase versus 2021. The portfolio company fell to No. 57 in 2023, recording a 16% decline, to 43,071 barrels. At the end of that same year, Made by The Water announced it would cease the majority of production at Faubourg’s New Orleans facility, which was auctioned off, and transitioned to contract production at IndieBrew in Atlanta, Georgia, and New Realm in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
2024 marked Made By The Water’s second-consecutive year of double-digit production volume decline, after falling 50% in 2023, to 25,336 barrels.
Left Hand Brewing has recorded production declines every year since at least 2018, and recorded double-digit declines for three-consecutive years, according to the BA. Since 2020, its production volume has been cut nearly in half, from 60,852 barrels, to 25,604 barrels. Earlier this year, the company merged with Dry Dock as part of its plans to create a platform.
Other breweries with two or more consecutive years of double digit declines included Full Sail (-20% in 2021, -15% in 2022, -25% in 2023); Great Divide (-18% in 2022, -11% in 2023); and Silver City (-11% in 2022, -17% in 2023).
Breweries that were on the verge of double-digit declines in 2024 included No. 54 IndieBrew (-9%, to 43,055 barrels), No. 108 Marble Brewery (-9%, to 21,082 barrels), No. 145 MadTree Brewing (-9%, to 17,370 barrels) and No. 150 Ska Brewing (-9%, to 17,059 barrels).
The remaining recorded single-digit YoY declines:
- No. 55 Short’s Brewing, -6%, to 42,157 barrels;
- No. 59 Two Roads Brewing, -4%, to 39,181 barrels;
- No. 66 Toppling Goliath Brewing, -7%, to 35,654 barrels;
- No. 69 Pelican Brewing, -1%, to 34,596 barrels;
- No. 82 Lexington Brewing & Distilling, -3%, to 28,957 barrels;
- No. 83 Castle Danger Brewery, -2%, to 28,911 barrels;
- No. 86 Breakside Brewery, -4%, to 27,571 barrels;
- No. 87 Big Sky Brewing, -3%, to 26,847 barrels;
- No. 92 Sun King Brewing, -3%, to 25,749 barrels;
- No. 95 Mother Earth Brew Co. (CA), -9%, to 24,500 barrels;
- No. 97 Yards Brewing, -4%, to 24,224 barrels;
- No. 98 Huss Brewing, -2%, to 24,112 barrels;
- No. 102 Wiseacre Brewing, -4%, to 23,565 barrels;
- No. 104 Bale Breaker Brewing, -5%, to 23,186 barrels;
- No. 107 Mother Road Brewing, -4%, to 21,982 barrels;
- No. 116 Straub Brewery, -2%, to 21,035 barrels;
- No. 118 Denver Beer Co., -4%, to 20,902 barrels;
- No. 124 Independence Brewing, -4%, to 19,950 barrels;
- No. 125 NoDa Brewing, -5%, to 19,902 barrels;
- No. 127 4 Hands Brewing, -4%, to 19,643 barrels;
- No. 128 Country Boy Brewing, -3%, to 19,327 barrels;
- No. 131 Von Trapp Brewing, -6%, to 18,566 barrels;
- No. 133 Industrial Arts Brewing, -8%, to 18,395 barrels;
- No. 135 Hardwood Park Craft Brewery, -4%, to 18,348 barrels;
- No. 137 Captain Lawrence Brewing, -7%, to 17,783 barrels;
- No. 142 Three Notch’d Brewing, -3%, to 17,468 barrels;
- No. 149 Krebs Brewing, -3%, to 17,213 barrels;
- No. 152 The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, -2%, to 17,003 barrels;
- No. 154 La Cumbre Brewing, -2%, to 16,764 barrels;
- No. 156 Urban Chestnut Brewing, -1%, to 16,469 barrels;
- No. 158 Austin Beerworks, -2%, to 16,362 barrels;
- No. 161 Wild Leap Brewing, -3%, to 15,539 barrels;
- No. 162 Tampa Bay Brewing, -1%, to 15,430 barrels;
- No. 166 Old Nation Brewing, -3%, to 15,334 barrels;
- No. 170 The Bruery, -3%, to 15,071 barrels;
- No. 171 COOP Ale Works, -5%, to 15,000 barrels;
Of the 44 breweries to increase production volume YoY, 16 recorded double-digit growth, led by No. 75 Destihl Brewery (+53%, to 31,000 barrels). 2024 marked the third-consecutive year of double-digit growth for the Illinois brewery, following a 18% increase in 2023 and 11% growth in 2022. The brewery was previously considered a brewpub and was not included in the BA’s regionals list in 2023.
The next largest percentage growth was recorded by No. 136 The Manhattan Project (+41%, to 18,240 barrels), followed by No. 85 Figueroa Mountain (+40%, to 27,900 barrels) and No. 101 The Shop Beer (+34%, to 23,806 barrels).
The Shop Beer’s growth came from the expansion of both its grocery distribution and on-premise draft beer sales, according to a feature in the New Brewer “Regionals: Opportunity Still Knocks.” The Shop Beer is sold exclusively in its home state of Arizona, where it has laid claim to 90% of the New England IPA market, according to the report.
The Shop Beer recorded the largest production volume percentage growth in 2023 (+57%, to 11,757 barrels) and has recorded double-digit growth every year since at least 2018, according to previous editions of the New Brewer: +29% in 2018, +45% in 2019, +35% in 2020, +144% in 2021 and +57% in 2022.
Other breweries with double-digit production volume growth last year included:
- No. 52 Maine Beer Co., +13%, to 45,210 barrels;
- No. 65 New Realm Brewing, +20%, to 37,760 barrels;
- No. 68 Brewery X, +13%, to 35,220 barrels;
- No. 70 Big Grove Brewery, +20%, to 34,412 barrels;
- No. 96 Altamont Beer Works, +15, to 24,296 barrels;
- No. 99 HenHouse Brewing, +26%, to 23,973 barrels;
- No. 119 Florida Avenue, +11%, to 20,862 barrels;
- No. 146 Third Street Brewhouse, +15%, to 17,340 barrels;
- No. 148 Mighty Squirrel, +14%, to 17,231 barrels;
- No. 157 MadeWest Brewing, +11%, to 16,446 barrels;
- No. 160 Edmund’s Oast Brewing, +16%, to 15,600 barrels;
- No. 165 Potosi Brewing, +13%, to 15,352 barrels.
2024 marked Maine Beer’s fourth-consecutive year of double-digit growth, following a 51% increase in 2021, 20% growth in 2022 and 13% growth in 2023. Similarly, Big Grove has posted double-digit growth every year since at least 2018, when production grew 89%, to 3,500 barrels, followed by +24% in 2019, +25% in 2020, +37% in 2021, +21% in 2022 and +20% in 2023.
Other breweries with at least two or more consecutive years of production growth included Destihl (+11% in 2022, +18% in 2023); Altamont Beer Works (+15% in 2023); Florida Avenue (+154% in 2022, +35% in 2023); The Manhattan Project (+34% in 2021, +20% in 2022; +32% in 2023); and Third Street Brewhouse (+38% in 2023).
Twenty-eight breweries posted single-digit production growth in 2024, including:
- No. 56 Cape May Brewery, +7%, to 41,923 barrels;
- No. 57 Santa Fe Brewing, +1%, to 41,527 barrels;
- No. 58 New Holland Brewing, +7%, to 39,825 barrels;
- No. 63 Pure Madness Brewery Group, +1%, to 38,082 barrels;
- No. 64 Lakefront Brewery, +8%, to 37,772 barrels;
- No. 72 Fort George Brewery, +9%, to 34,343 barrels;
- No. 73 Columbus Brewing, +9%, to 32,219 barrels;
- No. 7 Sycamore Brewing, +4%, to 30,645 barrels;
- No. 79 Eagle Park, +6%, to 30,208 barrels;
- No. 80 Red Oak Brewing, +8%, to 30,195 barrels;
- No. 84 KettleHouse Brewing, +8%, to 28,605 barrels;
- No. 91 Two Brothers Brewing, +6%, to 26,000 barrels;
- No. 94 Funky Buddha, +7%, to 25,000 barrels;
- No. 105 Dust Bowl Brewing, +5%, to 22,581 barrels;
- No. 109 Urban South Brewery, +5%, to 22,581 barrels;
- No. 110 Big Ditch Brewing, +7%, to 21,804 barrels;
- No. 114 Parish Brewing, +1%, to 21,151 barrels;
- No. 115 Whalers Brewing, +5%, to 21,060 barrels;
- No. 121 New England Brewing, +2%, to 20,700 barrels;
- No. 122 Maplewood Brewing, +4%, to 20,395 barrels;
- No. 126 Good People Brewing, +1%, to 19,742 barrels;
- No. 129 Crux Fermentation Project, +1%, to 19,307 barrels;
- No. 134 Ex Novo Brewing, +8%, to 18,387 barrels;
- No. 139 Topa Topa Brewing, +6%, to 17,675 barrels;
- No. 153 Lost Forty Brewing, +6%, to 16,818 barrels;
- No. 159 Ellicottville Brewing, +3%, to 16,120 barrels;
- No. 163 Solace Brewing, +8%, to 15,400 barrels;
- No. 167 Altstadt Brewery, +1%, to 15,290 barrels.
And eight breweries were about flat YoY:
- No. 60 Real Ale Brewing, 39,065 barrels (39,192 barrels in 2023);
- No. 61 AleSmith Brewing, 38,730 barrels (38,668 barrels in 2023);
- No. 74 Half Acre Brewing, 31,378 barrels (21,282 barrels in 2023);
- No. 123 No-Li Brewing, 20,054 barrels (20,005 barrels in 2023);
- No. 140 Fall River Brewing, 17,500 barrels (17,500 barrels in 2023);
- No.; 141 Société Brewing, 17,500 barrels (17,500 barrels in 2023);
- No. 143 Farmers Brewing, 17,452 barrels (17,400 barrels in 2023);
- No. 147 Kane Brewing, 17,239 barrels (17,250 barrels in 2023).
(Editor’s Note: We previously included Calicraft Brewing among top breweries with production declines, as reported in the New Brewer. Calicraft has since informed Brewbound that the BA’s numbers are inaccurate, and the brewery produces around 12,000 barrels annually — not the more than 21,000 barrels reported — with 2024 volume up YoY. The number of breweries in the red has also been corrected from 69 to 68 due to this error).