Number of craft breweries in the U.S. in 2022, by state
California had the most craft breweries of any state in the United States in 2022, by far. The state had 957 craft breweries in total, compared to 2nd and 3rd place Pennsylvania and New York who had 531 and 504 craft breweries respectively. Washington D.C. was in last place with 16 craft breweries. California also produced the most barrels of craft beer in 2022, 3.55 million in total.
The definition of a craft brewer
The Brewers Association qualifies a brewery as a craft brewery if it adheres to three pillars. Firstly, the production must be small, 6 million barrels of beer or less a year. Secondly, the operation must be mostly independent; at least seventy-five percent of the brewery must not be owned by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not a craft brewer. Lastly, the brewery must have a Brewer’s Notice from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and they must make beer.
The definition of a craft brewer
The Brewers Association qualifies a brewery as a craft brewery if it adheres to three pillars. Firstly, the production must be small, 6 million barrels of beer or less a year. Secondly, the operation must be mostly independent; at least seventy-five percent of the brewery must not be owned by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not a craft brewer. Lastly, the brewery must have a Brewer’s Notice from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and they must make beer.
