The craft beer industry is booming. According to the Brewer’s Association, craft brewer volume sales grew by 8% compared to overall beer sales, which increased by 1% in 2021.
Independently owned craft breweries are the leading growth segment in beer sales, taking a 10.8% market share of total beer consumption in the United States.
Craft breweries constantly reinvent beer with innovative flavors and offer more options for beer lovers to experience. No wonder craft beer attracts many customers and converts traditional beer drinkers.
What is Craft Beer?
According to the Brewers Association, the beer must be made with the traditional brewing process and the same base ingredients like barley, malt, yeast, and hops to qualify as a craft beer. After that, craft brewers are free to play around with the flavors.
Some beer drinkers believe that the quality of craft beer is much higher than mass-produced beer. With an eye on profits, big brands producing a high volume of beer may skimp on ingredients and quality by using artificial flavors and additives and watering down the beer. They also use cheaper ingredients like rice and corn to replace traditional hops.
On the other hand, some small businesses, like craft brewers, start with only one or two products and focus more on high-quality, hand-selected ingredients and distinct flavors to set themselves apart from the competition. Craft brewers can add other ingredients but can never do so for cost-cutting measures.
Another key difference between craft beer and commercial beer you can get at most stores is the production volume. Craft beer is made by an independent craft brewer and not mass-produced in large factories. To meet the criteria of being a craft brewery, they can produce up to 6 million barrels of beer annually.
People who enter the craft brewing business don’t do it because they like drinking beer but because they are passionate about the brewing process and flavors. They generally invest a lot of time and energy into perfecting their product. There are no massive automated machines to help with the process like large breweries have.
The Craft Beer Brewing Process
Industrial beers are mass-produced in big factories and the entire process is completely automated. They also have a much shorter fermentation period and a different process than craft breweries.
Industrial beer manufacturers use the lager fermentation process, a bottom-fermenting yeast at cold temperatures. The fermentation time is only about seven days, creating only a light flavor. Time is money, so macro breweries don’t care about taking the time to ferment the beer properly. They will do whatever it takes to produce millions of gallons of beer and distribute it.
After fermentation, the beer goes through a filtration and pasteurization process, which helps extend the beer’s shelf life. Mass-produced beer is also carbonated artificially with CO2, whereas it is naturally formed with craft beer.
Conversely, craft beer breweries use the ale fermentation process, which is top-fermenting yeast at warm temperatures. The fermentation time can be as long as two months, creating a much stronger flavor. Since craft breweries produce much smaller amounts than industrial/ macro breweries, they don’t filter or pasteurize craft beer. As a result, craft beer has a much shorter shelf life than industrial beer.
Craft Beer Breweries
The number of craft beer breweries operating in the United States is 9,118, with the most per capita in Vermont. Craft breweries are local breweries that cater to customers in the surrounding area to build their brand. You can easily meet the people who brew the craft beer you enjoy.
Many craft breweries host beer-tasting and food-pairing events. Many are also involved in their local communities, often contributing to charities and hosting booths at local events.
Popular Craft Beer Breweries and Brands
Craft beers are made with unique flavors that you likely won’t find two craft beers that taste exactly the same. The following are some craft breweries around the United States and the popular craft beer products and beer styles they sell.
Goose Island Beer Company: a Chicago-based brewery, home of the popular barrel-aged Bourbon County Brand Stouts, an American Imperial Stout beer style
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: located in Mills River, North Carolina, the craft brewer specializes in India Pale Ales and Imperial IPAs. SNPA, or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, is one of the best-selling craft beers in the country.
New Belgium Brewing: located in Fort Collins, Colorado, is the fourth-largest craft brewery in the United States by sales volume and, according to the Brewers Association, the 11th-largest U.S. brewer overall. They are known for their Belgian-style ale.
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales: one of the best-known Michigan breweries located in Dexter, Jolly Pumpkin produces Lambic beers brewed with wild yeasts native to Brussels. Jolly Pumpkin is known for its sour beers.
Great Lakes Brewing Company: located in Cleveland, Ohio, the Great Lakes Brewing Company is known for its Oatmeal Stout and seasonal classic Oktoberfest beer.
Karl Strauss Brewing Company: In San Diego, California, Karl Strauss has earned rewards for Best Local Craft Beer and Best San Diego Brewery Tasting Room. Karl Strauss has been on the craft beer scene since 1989 and makes such beers as Queen of Tarts Dark Sour and Aurora Hoppyalis IPA.
Shmaltz Brewing Company: headquarters are in Troy, New York. Their flagship brand is called He’Brew. Unfortunately, they closed down in 2021 and are focusing on the Alphabet City Brewing Company.
New Glarus Brewing: located in New Glarus, Wisconsin, customers can try New Glarus beer products Milk Stout, Cherry Stout, Spiced Ale and many more.
Deschutes Brewery: located in Bend, Oregon, the brewery for such products as Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, and blonde ale called Twilight Summer Ale.
Lagunitas Brewing Company: located in Petaluma, California. A 50% stake in The Lagunitas Brewing Company was purchased by Heineken in 2018. Even so, Lagunitas remains committed to remaining a craft brewer. Lagunitas makes India Pale Ales like Cascade and Chinook with caramel malt barley.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company: the craft brewery has multiple locations in California. It is known for best-selling beers such as 805 and Mind Haze.
Anchor Brewing: In San Francisco, California, Anchor brewing is considered America’s first craft brewery. Anchor trademarked the term Steam Beer and produced Anchor Steam, a modern craft-brewed lager.
Gordon Biersch Brewing Company: located in Detroit, Michigan, customers can try such beer styles as Hefeweizen, Full Pressure Pilsner, and Cliff Hanger Marzen.
Stone Brewing Company: located in Escondido, California, Stone Brewing Company is the largest brewery in Southern California. They are now the 9th largest craft brewer in the United States. Stone Brewing company is one of the first to pioneer west coast style IPA.
Odell Brewing Company: located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and is the 23rd largest brewing company in the United States. Odell Brewing has a variety of IPAs and sour beers.
Kona Brewing Company: located in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, popular brands include Longboard Island Lager, Big Wave Golden Ale, and Hanalei Island IPA.
Oskar Blues Brewery: located in St.Lyons, Colorado, their popular beers include Hazy Blues IPA, Western Mutant India Pale Ale, and Thick Haze New England IPA.
Public House Brewery: located in St.James, Missouri, Public House’s products include American -style cream ale and many other beer styles.
Green Flash Brewing Company: located in San Diego, California, their award-winning craft beers include West Coast IPA, Tropical DNA, and Saturhaze IPA.
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: located in Milton, Delaware, some new releases include 120 Minute IPA, Blue Hen Pilsner, and Namaste.
Craft Beer Lovers
The age group that consumes the most craft beer is the 35-44 range, also known as the Millennials. Millennials enjoy craft beer more than commercial brands because they like the intense flavors, the variety, and the seasonal choices.
Craft Beer Subscription
There are several different beer subscription services available. One subscription service is called The Original Craft Beer Club. They ship twelve beers monthly and four beer styles. Each shipment features two other craft breweries located in a different geographical region. The Original Craft Beer Club’s subscription box was voted the best overall beer subscription box this year.
Craft Beer Continues to Attract Loyal Customers
Craft beer is a perfect choice if you enjoy an intense taste and high-quality ingredients and love experimenting with different flavors. A craft brewer’s passion for their beer is evident in every pint.