Dollar sales of the leading craft beer brands in the U.S. 2023

For the 52 weeks ended January 28, 2024, New Belgium was ranked first in craft beer sales in the United States with 534 million U.S. dollars. Blue Moon was second with sales valued at 323 million dollars.

Craft Beer in the United States

Craft beer is paving the way for a new crop of beer makers. While the 1990's and early 2000's saw a big rise in brew pubs, the trend today leans more toward microbreweries that aim to distribute their product. Between 2012 and 2020, the number of new brewery openings has been at near unprecedented levels; the highest total since the 1880's. And every year, hundreds more are opening. In 2020, the craft brewing industry provided approximately 138 thousand jobs across the country.

The innovative nature of these craft brewers has driven the market. Many customers have grown tired of light lagers, which is what fueled the craft movement. The concept that every brewer is brewing something new and original has carved a lucrative niche into a once thought-to-be cornered market.

Craft breweries have a few things working in their favor, perhaps the most important of which is a customer base that's culturally diverse. Brewers will also focus their marketing efforts on capturing the expanding consumer base represented by female consumers. Craft beer lovers also tend to stay abreast of local trends in the market and are generally eager to try something new. If they like what they taste, they quickly spread the word, meaning hometown customers can quickly become evangelists for a brewery's product as they visit and move to different cities.