Brewers Association Reveals Top 50 U.S. Craft Brewing Companies for 2020

The Brewers Association has released its annual list of the 50 biggest craft brewing companies in the U.S., and as ever it’s interesting to see some new breweries sneak into the mix. These numbers are of course reflective of the deeply damaging and challenging time that almost all breweries had in the pandemic-scarred year of 2020, which especially decimated the business of breweries that were heavily reliant on draft beer sales in bars, restaurants and in-person taprooms. Faring better were those breweries that were able to focus heavily on packaged beers sold on site, or from grocery/package stores, but it’s safe to say that the pandemic year posed a steep challenge to brewing companies big and small.

The top of the list is of course anchored by the old stalwarts—Yuengling, ever since the “craft brewer” definition was altered to make room for them, followed by Boston Beer Co. (not counting Truly, Twisted Tea, etc), Sierra Nevada and Duvel Moortgat, thanks to the latter’s ownership of Boulevard Brewing Co. and Firestone Walker.