In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 most famous breweries in the US. You can skip our detailed analysis of the economic contributions of the beer industry, the social responsibility initiatives by breweries, and the recent buyback in the brewing industry, and go directly to 5 Most Famous Breweries in the US.
Breweries have become engines of economic development. They often do this by revitalizing old buildings that are no longer in use and usually in areas with cheaper real estate – all in an effort to minimize startup costs. However, this choice quickly becomes beneficial for all concerned. New businesses begin to surround these newly opened breweries to help take advantage of the increased foot traffic around the establishment. In many cases, one singular brewery has been the impetus for a whole town’s revival.
Economic Contributions of the Beer Industry:
The country has come a long way since Prohibition and with 28.2 gallons per capita, beer was the most consumed alcoholic drink in America in 2022. As we mentioned in our article – Top 20 Oldest Breweries in America – the beer industry supported more than 2.4 million local jobs last year, and contributed around $409 billion to the national economy – equivalent to 1.6% of GDP. The industry also paid more than $132 billion in wages and contributed $63.8 billion in taxes to the national exchequer.
America’s beer industry has been flourishing for a few decades now and there were 9,709 breweries operating in the country in 2022 – the highest figures ever in history.
Social Responsibility Initiatives:
As breweries have become part of the local community fabric, many have started giving back. Whether it is based on a portion of sales or through hosting a charity event, these small and independent breweries know they are only as successful as their small towns.
Raising money for local charities was a priority for Mitten Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, MI, from the day they opened. Since their launch in 2012, the brewery has raised over $350,000 for more than 50 local non-profits. And they are not alone.
Local breweries all across the U.S. are dedicated to supporting the communities they inhabit. They do this by promoting a culture of social responsibility, collaboration, and involvement. Today, The Boston Beer Company (NYSE:SAM) remains a pioneer in the industry, and for more than just beer. Programs like Brewing the American Dream, in partnership with Accion Opportunity Fund, provided more than 3,900 loans totaling $91 million to food and beverage businesses in 41 states. Additionally, the program has helped these businesses create over 9,000 jobs and provided free business coaching to over 14,000 entrepreneurs.
At the end of Q2, 2023, The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) was held by 30 hedge funds in the Insider Monkey database, with Southeastern Asset Management boasting the largest stake of 127,274 shares, valued at around $39.25 million.
Recent Buyback in the Brewing Industry:
The beer world is accustomed to hearing about big companies acquiring smaller craft breweries, but Boone-based Appalachian Mountain Brewing has recently bought its operation back from the brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD). The beer behemoth originally inherited the North Carolina-based business in 2020, when it bought outright control of the Craft Brew Alliance. The craft ‘co-operative’, which was absorbed into the Budweiser owner’s Brewers Collective division, acquired Appalachian Mountain in late 2018.
It’s surprising to see a small brewery purchase its brand back from a beer giant, especially in today’s craft beer market. Acquisitions of craft brands have slowed in the past five years, as large corporations find less success in sales. AM founders, Kelischeck and Zieber, didn’t divulge their reasoning for purchasing the brand back from A-B, but it’s a strategy that stands out among a sea of corporation-held craft beer portfolios.
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is the Largest Beer Producer in the World but the company has been facing some headwinds in the American market after the recent controversy regarding its best-selling brand Bud Light, which resulted in the iconic brand losing its crown as the Top-Selling Beer in America after nearly two decades. Due to its falling beer volumes in the domestic market, the beer giant had indicated three months ago that it was looking to focus its efforts on fewer brands.
Although, as we mentioned in our article – 17 Countries with the Highest Percentage of Non-Drinkers– billionaire Bill Gates’ portfolio management decided to initiate a $96 million position in the firm during the second quarter.
“The largest detractors to performance over the quarter were First Horizon Corp (FHN), Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD), and Bayer (BAYRY). Problems at Anheuser Busch InBev began on April 1 with Dylan Mulvaney’s social media post, which ignited a fiery backlash amongst Bud Light customers across ‘Merica. With volumes down sharply, and competitors gaining share at BUD’s expense, operational deleveraging is set to weigh heavily on US margins amid peak demand pressure in the second quarter. Despite severe US headwinds (second-quarter operating profit maybe half of last year’s levels), we still expect BUD to grow consolidated operating profit at a mid-single-digit rate for the full year. With current issues well understood and investor sentiment in the gutters, we see significant upside in a stock, which is approaching a double-digit FCF yield. With FX headwinds and rising input costs reversing course, increasing margins are likely to drive positive surprises into FY24 as continued deleveraging accrues more value to shareholders.”
With that said, here are the Most Popular Breweries in the U.S.
20 Most Famous Breweries in the US
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Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we referred to a number of sources, such as VinePair, 24/7 Wall St., Food & Wine, Reddit threads on breweries etc., looking for the Most Famous Breweries in America. We picked breweries that appeared multiple times in these sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly. When two breweries had the same score, we ranked them by their total number of check-ins on Untappd.
When John McDonald tried out some Belgian beers on his trip to Europe in 1984, he became absolutely captivated with them. So much so that one day he decided to sell his house and invest in a craft brewery that eventually became the largest specialty brewer in the Midwest.
Boulevard Brewing Company was acquired by the Duvel Moortgat Brewery in 2013, in a deal worth an estimated $100 million.
19. New Glarus Brewing Company
Insider Monkey Score: 6
In 1992, Deb Carey raised the capital for a craft brewery startup as a gift to her husband Daniel Carey, establishing herself as the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the U.S. The Careys then converted an abandoned warehouse into the New Glarus Brewing Company’s original Riverside Brewery. The first barrels rolled out in November 1993 – the fastest micro brewery startup ever. New Glarus uses 100% natural ingredients to produce world class, hand-crafted beers.
18. Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Founded in 2009, the Iowa-based Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. was a runaway success and is world-renowned for its IPA and barrel-aged beers.
Rated not only as the #1 Craft Beer in America, but also the Best Beer in the World by BeerAdvocate and RateBeer, Toppling Goliath’s Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout is chocolate chip pancakes drenched with maple syrup, served with espresso and a shot of bourbon, all in one sip.
Toppling Goliath ranks among the Top 50 Most Famous Breweries in the United States.
17. Tree House Brewing Co.
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Tree House has eight of the 30 highest rated beers in the world on Beer Advocate and eight of the 40 highest rated beers on Untappd. Considering the sheer number of breweries in the world, it is crazy to believe that so many of the top-rated beers could be made by a single establishment. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Charlton-based beer maker is among the top breweries in the world.
Tree House produced 48,400 BBLs of beer in 2018 and had an estimated revenue of $48 million.
16. Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Insider Monkey Score: 6
The Chicago-based Lagunitas boasted $162.1 million in dollar sales in 2022, a 10.9% decrease from 2021. Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Alvarado Street Bakery, both from Petaluma, have recently joined for a neighborly collaboration to prevent waste and produce a beer made from leftover bread. The results are on tap as a limited-edition lager – The Toast of Petaluma. Lagunitas was acquired by Heineken N.V. in 2017. Lagunitas sits among the Most Famous Breweries in the U.S. in 2023.
15. Goose Island Beer Co.
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Anheuser-Busch acquired the Chicago-based Goose Island in 2011, in a deal worth $39 million. Since then, the beer giant has invested aggressively to establish a chain of Goose Island brewpubs in America, as well as internationally. The Goose Island So-Lo sits among theBest Low-Alcohol Beers in America.
14. Stone Brewing
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Stone Brewing was founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996 in San Marcos, California. Their mission was to create flavorful, amazing beers and provide an alternative choice for those who were unsatisfied with the industrialized beers dominating the market at the time.
Stone Brewing is among the Best Breweries in California. The brewery was acquired by Sapporo this summer, in a deal worth $165 million.
13. Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Insider Monkey Score: 7
Known for its best-selling beers like 805 and Mind Haze, this California-based brewery was named the World Beer Cup Champion Brewery in 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2012. Firestone Walker merged with Duvel Moortgat USA in 2015, in a deal worth an estimated $250 million.
The Michigan-based Bell’s Brewery was acquired by Kirin-owned Lion World Beverages for an undisclosed amount in 2021. The deal brought Bell's into the same portfolio of fellow craft beer pioneer New Belgium Brewing Co.
Bell’s Brewery ranks among the Most Popular Breweries in America.
11. Deschutes Brewery
Insider Monkey Score: 8
Deschutes Brewery has always been family-owned and operated. An Employee Stock Ownership Program was set up in 2013, so employees now own a percentage of the company.
The Alchemist is a Vermont-based family-run brewery specializing in fresh, unfiltered IPAs. Today, The Alchemist operates two breweries in Waterbury and Stowe and distributes Heady Topper and Focal Banger throughout the state, with the occasional out-of-state shipment.
The Alchemist is one of the Top 10 Most Famous Breweries in America.
9. Allagash Brewing Co.
Insider Monkey Score: 9
During its 27-year history, this Portland-based brewery has won its fair shares of accolades and honors, while developing an almost cult-like following with its Belgian-focused beers. Their signature brew, Allagash White, has won four gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival.
Allagash donates 1% of its revenue to charity, with over $500,000 given to the local community in 2022.
8. Russian River Brewing Co.
Insider Monkey Score: 9
Russian River Brewing Company was established in 1997 by Korbel Champagne Cellars among the majestic redwoods in West Sonoma County. After 6 years, Korbel decided to get out of the beer business and agreed to transfer the brand and all recipes to their head brewer, Vinnie Cilurzo.
7. 3 Floyds Brewing
Insider Monkey Score: 9
The 3 Floyds brewery is known for making some of the best craft beers in the U.S. and for commissioning artists to design bizarre labels for their beers. The Zombie Dust ‘Undead Pale Ale’ is a medium-bodied single hop beer that ranks among the Best Craft Beer Brands in the U.S.
6. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Insider Monkey Score: 9
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was acquired by The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) in 2019, in a deal that paid the founder Sam Calagione and his family $127.7 million in shares of the Samuel Adams maker, and $173 million in cash to its shareholders. Both, The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE:SAM) and Dogfish Head have each maintained their status as independent craft breweries.
Dogfish Head ranks 6th in our List of the Most Famous Breweries.
