The US Brewers Association—the not-for-profit trade group that tabulates production statistics for US breweries—today released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the States, based on 2011 
beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 36 are small and independent¹ craft brewing companies.
Craft brewers saw volume rise 13 per cent, with a 15 per cent increase in retail sales from 2010 to 2011, representing a total barrel increase of 1.3 million.
In 2011, craft brewers represented 5.68 per cent of volume of the US beer market, up from 4.97 in 2010, with production reaching 11,468,152 barrels. Additionally, the BA estimates the actual dollar sales figure from craft brewers in 2011 was $8.7 billion, up from $7.6 billion in 2010. Increased retails sales represented 9.1 per cent of the $95.5 billion dollar U.S. beer market.
“While the overall beer market experienced a 1.32 per cent volume decrease in 2011, craft brewing saw significant growth, surpassing five per cent total market volume share for the first time,” said Paul Gatza, director, Brewers Association.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that with the variety of styles and flavours to choose from, Americans are developing a strong taste for high-quality, small-batch beer from independent brewers.”
The actual volume of beer sold by the top brewers won’t be released for several weeks, but below are tables that show the top 50 US craft breweries, the top 50 breweries overall and the beer volumes produced by the top 10 in 2009. One barrel equals approximately 1117 litres of beer, so in 2009 Sierra Nevada produced almost 84 million litres of beer. By way of comparison, our own Coopers last year produced almost 63 million litres.
The growth of the industry is astounding too, with 250 brewery openings and only 37 closings, the BA also reported that 1,989 breweries were operating in the U.S. in 2011—an 11 per cent increase from the previous year.
Small brewers employed approximately 103,585 workers in the U.S in 2011.
“We saw rapid growth in brewery openings last year, particularly with microbrewery start-ups, and these numbers are poised to rise even more in 2012,” added Gatza. “In February 2012, we already topped 2,000 operating breweries—a truly remarkable milestone. We look forward to even more success and the continued expansion of the craft beer market.”
Table 1. Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies (Based on 2011 beer sales volume)
| Trademark | Kind | Class | Accepted | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GYPSY | Word | 32 | 01 Jul 2020 | Ravala Beverages OU |
| THE KITCHEN BY WOOLWORTHS | Word | 18, 21, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 43, 44 | 10 Jul 2020 | Woolworths Group Limited |
| NAVITI | Word | 32, 33, 43 | 21 Jul 2020 | WARWICK INTERNATIONAL HOTELS N.V. |
| The Hamper Emporium | Word | 30, 32, 33 | 01 Jul 2020 | DAVID MORGAN INVESTMENTS PTY LTD |
| SPINDRIFT | Word | 32, 33 | 03 Jul 2020 | Spindrift Beverage Co., Inc. |
| McGUIGAN ZERO | Word | 32 | 08 Jul 2020 | Australian Vintage Limited |
| EL PACHO TEQUILA EST 2019 | Figurative | 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 25, 26, 29, 32, 33, 44 | 02 Jul 2020 | MACKO FOODS & BEVERAGES Pty Ltd |
| YELLOWGLEN | Word | 32 | 20 Jul 2020 | Treasury Wine Estates Vintners Limited |
| ECS Organics | Word | 3, 5, 29, 30, 32, 35, 44 | 09 Jul 2020 | ECS Botanics Pty Ltd |
| 10's ESTATE | Word | 29, 31, 32, 33 | 13 Jul 2020 | 10’s Estate Pty Ltd |
| ESTRELLA GALICIA | Figurative | 32 | 17 Jul 2020 | HIJOS DE RIVERA, S.A. |
| DRINK.O.POP | Figurative | 32 | 16 Jul 2020 | PROMASIDOR IP HOLDINGS LIMITED |
| HAZY JANE | Word | 32 | 14 Jul 2020 | BrewDog plc |
| 100 ACRES | Figurative | 32, 33 | 20 Jul 2020 | Public Brewing Co Pty Ltd |
| ALTUNSA | Figurative | 29, 30, 32 | 22 Jul 2020 | ALTUNKAYA İNŞAAT NAKLİYAT GIDA TİCARET ANONİM ŞİRKETİ |
| THE GRAIN OF TRUTH IN EVERY BEER | Word | 30, 31, 32, 35, 39 | 27 Jul 2020 | Barrett Burston Malting Co. Pty Ltd |
| SUPER "DRY" ASAHI | Fancy | 32 | 07 Jul 2020 | Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. |
| 100 ACRES | Word | 32, 33 | 20 Jul 2020 | Public Brewing Co Pty Ltd |
| SQUARE GRAPE | Word | 32, 33, 35, 36, 41 | 07 Jul 2020 | Treasury Wine Estates Vintners Limited |
| Sons of Fun | Word | 32, 33, 35, 43 | 06 Jul 2020 | SONS OF FUN PTY LTD. |
| BUTTERFLY CANNON | Word | 32, 33 | 06 Jul 2020 | Biggar & Leith, LLC |
| BESTIES | Word | 32, 33 | 06 Jul 2020 | Constellation Brands New Zealand Limited |
| the land of fizz | Word | 32, 33, 35 | 02 Jul 2020 | FELLR ENTERPRISES PTY LTD |
| LIFE SMOOTHE | Figurative | 29, 32, 33 | 08 Jul 2020 | HBTC TRADING PTY LTD |
| CONQUER | Word | 32 | 08 Jul 2020 | Xebra Brands, Ltd. |
| ENJOY THE TRIP | Word | 32 | 08 Jul 2020 | Xebra Brands, Ltd. |
| NATIONAL LOCAL DAY | Word | 25, 32, 33, 35, 36, 41, 43 | 10 Jul 2020 | Lion-Beer, Spirits & Wine Pty Ltd |
| Future Brewing | Word | 32, 40 | 10 Jul 2020 | FUTURE BREWING PTY LTD |
| KNOBBY | Word | 32 | 08 Jul 2020 | KNOBBY IP PTY LTD |
| Budgy Smuggler | Word | 32 | 14 Jul 2020 | Leokadia Pty Ltd |
| PRELOAD | Word | 32, 33 | 17 Jul 2020 | Jo Furphy as the Trustee for the Hawthorn Furphy Farms Trust |
| PRES | Word | 32, 33 | 15 Jul 2020 | Jo Furphy as the Trustee for the Hawthorn Furphy Farms Trust |
| SPICE ISLANDS BEVERAGE COMPANY | Word | 32, 33 | 09 Jul 2020 | VICTOR WASKITA PURWANA |
| SPICE ISLANDS DISTILLING COMPANY | Word | 32, 33 | 09 Jul 2020 | VICTOR WASKITA PURWANA |
| GREAT NORTHERN BREWING CO. EST QLD | Figurative | 32 | 17 Jul 2020 | Queensland Breweries Pty Ltd |
| BEE AND BIOTICS | Word | 32 | 13 Jul 2020 | BEE AND BIOTICS PTY LTD |
| MAD MONDAY | Word | 32, 33, 39 | 27 Jul 2020 | Mad Monday Pty Ltd |
| Hawkesbury Brewing Company Prohibition Pale Ale | Word | 32 | 17 Jul 2020 | HAWKESBURY BREWING COMPANY PTY LTD |
| HAIL HARD SELTZER | Figurative | 32 | 21 Jul 2020 | Intellectual Property Development Corporation Pty Ltd |
| STUNNED MULLET | Figurative | 32 | 10 Jul 2020 | LE GRAND IMPORTS EXPORTS PTY. LTD. |
| DRYNKS UNLIMITED SMASHED CIDER | Word | 32 | 15 Jul 2020 | RMGL Trading Limited |
| BENTSPOKE BREWING CO | Figurative | 32 | 14 Jul 2020 | BentSpoke Holdings Pty Ltd as trustee for BentSpoke Brewing Unit Trust |
| DAVE | Figurative | 32 | 09 Jul 2020 | david williams |
| SOURCE BEARNAISE | Fancy | 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35 | 13 Jul 2020 | Bizko Pty Ltd as trustee for the Bizko Unit Trust |
| DECLARE LOVE | Fancy | 32 | 28 Jul 2020 | GINZA INTERNATIONAL PTY. LTD. |
| ASAHI BREWERIES LIMITED SUPER "DRY" ASAHI ASAHI SUPER DRY IS BREWED WITH PRECISION TO VERY HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF JAPANESE MASTER BREWERS. OUR ADVANCED BREWING TECHNIQUES DELIVER A DRY, CRISP TASTE AND QUICK, CLEAN FINISH. WE CALL IT KARAKUCHI TASTE. | Figurative | 32 | 07 Jul 2020 | Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. |
| DRINK THE JOURNEY. EXPERIENCE PARADISE. CELEBRATE ADVENTURE | Word | 32 | 02 Jul 2020 | Phoenix Beverages Limited |
| KOMMUNITY BREW | Figurative | 30, 32, 33 | 06 Jul 2020 | KOMMUNITY BREWING COMPANY PTY LTD |
| HAMMERHEAD | Word | 32, 33 | 08 Jul 2020 | ALDI Foods Pty Ltd |
| CHIPPER | Word | 32, 33 | 16 Jul 2020 | Endeavour Group Limited |
| TEA OF PLENT-TY | Figurative | 32, 33 | 16 Jul 2020 | Endeavour Group Limited |
| DRIP & DASH COFFEE SPIRITS | Figurative | 32, 33 | 16 Jul 2020 | Endeavour Group Limited |
| TIPPLE TEA MERCHANTS XX XX | Figurative | 32, 33 | 16 Jul 2020 | Endeavour Group Limited |
| FROTH ROOKIES BREWING CO | Word | 32, 40, 41 | 07 Jul 2020 | TAFE Queensland |
| GAGE ROADS | Figurative | 32, 33, 43 | 03 Jul 2020 | Gage Roads Brewing Co Ltd |
| JULOVE | Word | 7, 9, 11, 15, 20, 25, 28, 32, 33, 35 | 02 Jul 2020 | GLOBAL MARKETPLACE PTY LTD |
| CLICK FRENZY JULOVE | Word | 7, 9, 11, 15, 20, 25, 28, 32, 33, 35 | 02 Jul 2020 | GLOBAL MARKETPLACE PTY LTD |
| ZYNAMITE | Figurative | 32, 33 | 06 Jul 2020 | NEKTIUM PHARMA S.L. |
| The Immortal Pale Ale | Word | 32 | 09 Jul 2020 | Glebe Brewing Co |
| The Loyalist | Word | 32, 33 | 20 Jul 2020 | CHRONICLES GIN PTY LTD |
| THE SNEAKY BUCHA | Fancy | 32 | 07 Jul 2020 | Kombucha Brewing Co Pty Ltd |
| BOLD BY NATURE | Word | 32, 33 | 15 Jul 2020 | Public Brewing Co Pty Ltd |
| GRILL MEISTER | Figurative | 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 16, 21, 25, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 41 | 29 Jul 2020 | Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG |
| Common People Brewing Co | Word | 32 | 07 Jul 2020 | COMMON PEOPLE BREWING CO PTY. LTD. |
| BLOCK BREWING | Word | 32 | 27 Jul 2020 | Endeavour Group Limited |
| INITIAL BREWING | Word | 32 | 27 Jul 2020 | Endeavour Group Limited |
| WAY EAST POINT | Word | 32 | 13 Jul 2020 | Fermentum Pty Ltd |
| BXR Brewing Co. | Word | 32 | 14 Jul 2020 | A Pale Chook Pty Ltd |
| BlueFace Brewing Co. | Word | 32 | 14 Jul 2020 | A Pale Chook Pty Ltd |
| DUNBAR | Word | 32 | 10 Jul 2020 | Dunbar Brews Pty Ltd |
| BREW GARAGE | Word | 32 | 15 Jul 2020 | Liebenau Brewing Pty Ltd |
| COOPERS PACIFIC PALE ALE | Word | 32 | 15 Jul 2020 | Coopers Brewery Limited |
| RINSE VODKA SODA | Word | 32, 33 | 20 Jul 2020 | Clean Collective Ltd |
| EAST POINT | Figurative | 32 | 20 Jul 2020 | Fermentum Pty Ltd |
| NW TALE ENDER BREWERY EST 2017 | Figurative | 32 | 20 Jul 2020 | MR Christopher Wood |
| FLIPSIDE | Word | 32 | 21 Jul 2020 | Launch Liquor Pty Ltd |
| BONDI DRAUGHT THE BEER FOR DRINKING | FIgurative | 32 | 27 Jul 2020 | Paul Parks |
| FOREVER BITTER | Word | 32 | 22 Jul 2020 | BRIGHTER DESIGN PTY LTD |
| Keyboard Warrior | Word | 32 | 29 Jul 2020 | Red Island Group Pty Ltd As Trustee for Red Island Group Unit Trust |
| Blur Vines | Word | 32 | 29 Jul 2020 | Red Island Group Pty Ltd As Trustee for Red Island Group Unit Trust |
Table 2. Top 10 US craft breweries 2009 with production volume
[table “7” not found /]1 barrel = 117 litres
*Note, following the 2010 sale of Magic Hat Brewing Co(#8), which also owns Pyramid Breweries Inc (#5), to North American Breweries in August 2010, these breweries no longer fall within the definition of craft beer on account of the ‘independent’ element of the definition. North American Breweries describes itself as “the national platform for investments and growth in the beer and malt beverages industries for KPS Capital Partners, LP.” The ease with which breweries can fall out of the definition on account of ownership is a cause for some criticism.
Table 2. Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies (Based on 2011 beer sales volume)