According to the rules approved by the Brewers Association, a brewery can be considered a craft brewery if three conditions are met:
- it produces traditional beers.
- Brews less than 6 million barrels per year.
- No more than 25% of its shares are owned by a non-craft brewery.
In 2019, there were more than 7,000 craft breweries in the U.S., with about 2,000 more preparing to open. The growth rate is down markedly from where it was in the 2000s, but it’s still growing. And it is not excluded that in the next years the recognized leaders will be replaced by newcomers, moving them from the top of the list.
D.G. Yuengling and Son Inc
This oldest craft brewery in America was founded in 1829 by David G. Yuengling, who came to Pottsville, Pennsylvania from Germany. The operation was first called Eagle, but was renamed D.G. Yuengling and Son Inc in 1873 when Frederick, the founder’s eldest son, joined the business as a partner. During Prohibition, the business was forced to switch to dairy products, but then resumed operations again. In 1976, the brewery was included in the state register as the oldest in the United States. At the end of the XX century the demand for Yuengling beer began to exceed the supply. As a result – construction began on a second brewery in Mill Creek, a few miles from the first, and a brewery in Tampa, Florida was purchased. In 2015, D.G. Yuengling and Son Inc topped the list of America’s largest craft breweries. And in 2019 – celebrated its 190th anniversary. The brand now produces 11 beers under the brand. The assortment includes both traditional light lager and several types of dark porter. In 2012, the quality of the company’s products was confirmed by the publication “24/7 Wall Street”, naming “Yuengling Traditional Lager” as the drink No. 1 in the United States. The beer of this brand is not sold in all states, but if you find yourself passing through Pennsylvania – be sure to try this variety.
Interesting fact. After the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the company released a new variety – “Winner Beer”. And sent a whole truckload of this beer as a gift to the president – Franklin Roosevelt.
Boston Beer Co
In 1894, Boston resident Jim Koch discovered a beer recipe in his father’s attic that had been written down by his great-great-grandfather. He tried brewing it in his own kitchen and was impressed with the result. Jim founded The Boston Beer Company. For the first few months, he personally went around to neighborhood bars offering a taste of Samuel Adams Boston-Lager, named after one of the leaders of the American Revolution. Like Samuel Adams in his day, the Boston Lager became the catalyst for a true beer revolution. The drink was unveiled in April 1985, when Massachusetts celebrated Patriot’s Day. Just six weeks later, it was named the best beer in America, taking part in a consumer preference contest during The Great American Beer Festival. To date, Boston-Lager has won the category four times, leaving all competitors far behind. Now The Boston Beer Company produces more than 60 varieties of “Samuel Adams” beer, inventing all new recipes and improving the classic ones. In addition to the flagship Boston-Lager, the brewery offers a variety of seasonal beers, the Barrel Room collection, and Brewmaster. As part of the “extreme beer” movement, The Boston Beer Company releases unusual brews – Triple Bock, Infinium, Millennium and Samuel Adams Utopias. They completely refute the assertion that beer cannot and should not be strong.
Interesting fact. The strength of Samuel Adams Utopias beer is 27% and is achieved through natural fermentation. So far, no one has managed to achieve a similar result.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co
Ken Grossman founded the company in 1980 in California. He had been brewing beer at home for a long time, which led to the creation of a heavily hopped pale ale made with Cascade hops. And while Ken Grossman used to deliver beer to customers himself, today he is on the list of American billionaires. And his Sierra Nevada brewery was ranked the 3rd largest brewery in the U.S. in 2019. Over time, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has become a classic – it’s one of Americans’ favorite beers. It is sold not only in all 50 states of the country, but also abroad, successfully competing with German and Czech producers. The company now owns two breweries in California (Chico and Berkeley) and a brewery in North Carolina (Mills River). All types of beer are brewed using only whole-cone hops, which has become a trademark of the company.
Interesting fact. Sierra Nevada pale ale with its intense aroma of pine and citrus made a revolution in the production of American craft beer.
New Belgium Brewing Co
In 1988, a young American couple took a bicycle trip through Belgium. After returning home, Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch set about installing brewing equipment in the basement of their home in Colorado – so impressed were they with Belgian beer. That’s how New Belgium Brewing Co. was created, which they co-founded. Sample batches of Fat Tire and Abbey amber ales were presented in June 1991 at the Colorado Brewers Fair. And a little later, “Abbey” won a gold medal in the Specialty category at the Great Denver Beer Festival. The company marked the beginning of the 21st century with the release of a new Belgian variety, La Folie Sour Brown Ale. The beer was aged in French oak wine barrels and became very popular. Since 2003, New Belgium Brewing Co. has been paying great attention to ecology – solar panels and modern purification systems have been installed at the brewery. In 2009, by decision of the co-founders, 100% of the company’s shares were sold to its employees. They were received by 457 people who worked in New Belgium Brewing Co. at that time. The brewery continues to produce many varieties of Belgian beer, among which “Voodoo Ranger”, “Fat Tire” and a collection of pale ales “Trippel” are extremely popular.
Interesting fact. New Belgium Brewing Company is recognized as a national leader in social responsibility and sustainability.
Duvel Moortgat (Firestone Walker Brewing Company)
The company was established in 1996 by David Walker and Adam Firestone in the Santa Barbara County, California area. In 2001, production was moved to Paso Robles, where it is still located today. The company gained its fame by organizing the Firestone Walker Invitational beer festival. As a result of experimenting with recipes, it released its original beers, Union Jack and India Pale Ale. Things changed dramatically in 2015 when Firestone Walker Brewery was bought by the Belgian company Duvel Moortgat Brewing, under whose name it gained popularity in America. A little later, several other well-known craft breweries in the United States – Ommegang in Cooperstown and Boulevard Brewing in Kansas City – joined the group. Light ale “Duvel Moortgat”, well known in Europe, was very well liked by Americans, and now many varieties of amber drink are produced under this brand.
Interesting fact. The company applies one of the variants of the “Burton Union” fermentation system, for which interconnected oak barrels are used. This explains the presence of clearly noticeable “oak” notes in the brand’s pale ales.
According to the Brewers Association, the craft beer boom in the U.S. is now gradually waning. Many small enterprises that failed to gain a foothold in the market are closing down. But large breweries continue to operate successfully and produce new varieties of excellent beer, which has become a source of well-deserved pride for Americans.
