Mid-year figures show another major jump in number of craft breweries

Just in case you thought the craft beer boom would surely start slowing down soon, the number of operating breweries in the United States increased by a staggering 24.5 percent from June 30 of last year to June 30 of this year.

That’s according to a midyear report on the craft beer industry released by the Boulder-based Brewers Association on Tuesday.

As of June 30, the trade group representing small and independent brewers reported 4,656 breweries operating. That’s up 917 from the same point last year. And there are 2,200 more in planning stages.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Business Cares: April 2024

In Colorado, 1 in 3 women, 1 in 3 men and 1 in 2 transgender individuals will experience an attempted or completed sexual assault in their lifetime. During April, we recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month with the hopes of increasing conversations about this very important issue.

Craft brewers – defined as those producing 6 million barrels or less annually, having no more than 25 percent ownership by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer, and using traditional ingredients to derive flavor – employ nearly 122,000 full and part-time workers, according to the Brewers Association.

Craft beer production volume increased eight percent during the first half of the year versus last year. By comparison, midyear production was up 15 percent in 2015 versus the same point a year earlier. But the decrease in rate versus past years is largely attributed to the maturing of the industry, BA economist Bart Watson said.

“While the craft brewing industry is entering a period of maturation, most markets are not near saturation,” Watson said in a release. “As craft’s base gets larger, as with any industry, it becomes more difficult for it to grow at the same percentage rate. Yet there is still tremendous dynamism reflected in eight percent growth for craft. Even in a more competitive market, for the vast majority of small and independent brewers, opportunities still exist.”

Midyear figures by state were not broken down for the latest report. But Colorado finished 2015 with 284 craft breweries, up from 239 a year earlier and third most in the country behind only California (518) and Washington (305).