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Here is a List of the Top 50 U.S. Craft Breweries in 2018

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BA top 50 craft brewers

The Brewers Association released its annual list of the Top 50 U.S. craft brewing companies Tuesday. The Top 50 list is compiled based on beer sales by volume in 2018.

“Although the market has grown more competitive, particularly for regional craft breweries with the widest distribution, these 50 small and independent brewing companies continue to lead the craft brewing market in sales through strong brands, quality, and innovation,” says Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association.

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The Brewers Association (BA), publishers of CraftBeer.com, is the not-for-profit trade group representing small and independent craft brewers. All the breweries on the Top 50 list fit the BA’s definition of a craft brewer:

  • Small – Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to rules of alternating proprietorships.
  • Independent – Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.
  • Brewer – Has a TTB Brewer’s Notice and makes beer.

Below is a graphic showing the full list of 2018’s Top 50 U.S. craft brewing companies. Remember, the BA’s Top 50 is based on beer sales by volume and not by beer ratings.

In June 2017, the BA released the independent craft brewer seal to help beer lovers recognize which brewers fit the craft definition. More than 4,000 breweries have adopted the logo in less than two years. Look for the seal — an upside-down beer bottle — on packaging, labels, tap handles and more in breweries and wherever craft beer is sold.

Jess Baker walked into a beer fest in 2010 and realized beer had come a long way from what her dad had been drinking since the 70s. She served as editor-in-chief of CraftBeer.com from spring 2016 to spring 2020, bringing you stories about the people who are the heartbeat behind U.S. craft brewing. She's a runner, a die-hard Springsteen fan, a mom who is always scouting family-friendly breweries, and always in search of a darn good porter.

CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.