Big Brewer Craft Volume -4%, to 8.68M Barrels in 2022; New Belgium Tops 1.2M BBLs; Blue Moon Hits Lowest Output Since 2011

Production at craft breweries falling outside of the Brewers Association’s (BA) craft brewer definition collectively declined -4% on a comparable basis, to more than 8.68 million barrels in 2022, according to data shared by the trade group in the May/June edition of the New Brewer Magazine.

The BA excludes companies that are at least 25% owned by a larger brewing company from its craft brewery data set and places a production ceiling for BA-defined craft brewers at 6 million barrels.

The volume numbers for big beer craft fluctuate on a comparable basis as more craft breweries are acquired by larger beer manufacturers, divested of by those companies, or discontinued.

Among the breweries falling outside of the BA’s craft data set are many that consumers view as craft brands, including New Belgium Brewing Company and Bell’s Brewery, which were acquired by Kirin-owned Lion Little World Beverages; Heineken-owned Lagunitas; Sapporo-owned Anchor Brewing; Mahou San Miguel-owned Founders Brewing and Avery Brewing; and those craft breweries collected by Anheuser-Busch InBev (A-B), Molson Coors, Constellation Brands and FIFCO USA.

One of the main craft growth stories in recent years has been the upward trajectory of New Belgium Brewing Company due to the IPA-heavy Voodoo Ranger franchise. In 2022, the Fort Collins, Colorado-headquartered brewery reached a new record high, increased volume double-digits for the third consecutive year and topped the 1-million-barrel mark for the second consecutive year.

New Belgium’s production grew +14%, to 1.23 million barrels last year, bolstered by the launch of Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA, named Brewbound’s 2022 Innovation of the Year.

Volume of Lion sibling brand Bell’s Brewery declined -9% in 2022, to 445,000 barrels. In 2021, Bell’s production increased +5%, to 490,000 barrels, nearly matching its peak output of 494,081 barrels in 2019.

Combined, Lion’s portfolio of New Belgium and Bell’s increased production +7%, to 1.675 million barrels. The combo would have ranked third overall if included in the BA’s craft brewer set, behind only D.G. Yuengling & Son (2.287 million barrels) and Boston Beer Company (1.69 million barrels).

Among non-BA-defined craft producers, Lion’s portfolio ranked third.

A-B the Largest Non-BA Craft Producer at 2.625 Million Barrels

A-B’s Brewers Collective of craft brands collectively produced 2.625 million barrels in 2022, making the company the largest producer of non-BA-defined craft beer. A-B’s craft brands collectively declined -4% year-over-year (YoY), down from the more than 2.7 million barrels produced in 2020 and 2021.

Within A-B’s Brewers Collective, just two craft brands posted YoY growth: Goose Island (+6%, to 495,000 barrels) and Wicked Weed (+19%, to 115,000 barrels).

2022 marked the first time Wicked Weed crossed the 100,000-barrel threshold. One A-B craft brewery, New York’s Blue Point, posted flat YoY volume at 75,000 barrels.

The remaining A-B craft brands posted declines, including:

  • The Craft Brew Alliance brands, including Kona on the mainland, Widmer, Redhook, Wynwood, Appalachian Mountain, and Cisco Brewers (-3%, to 640,000 barrels);
  • Elysian (-8%, to 305,000 barrels);
  • Golden Road (-7%, to 215,000 barrels);
  • Shock Top (-15%, to 170,000 barrels);
  • Karbach (-12%, to 155,000 barrels);
  • Four Peaks (-3%, to 140,000 barrels);
  • 10 Barrel (-4%, to 120,000 barrels);
  • Breckenridge Brewery (-9%, to 100,000 barrels);
  • Devils Backbone (-12%, to 75,000 barrels);
  • Platform Beer Co. (-11%, to 20,000 barrels).

Notably, A-B shut down Platform’s Ohio taprooms and brewery earlier this year, but the brand will live on as three IPAs. Last week, Appalachian Mountain’s co-founders announced plans to buy back the Boone, North Carolina-based brewery from A-B, meaning it should return to the BA’s independent craft data set in the future.

Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Down to 1.765 Million Barrels

Molson Coors’ craft portfolio collectively declined -6%, to more than 2.52 million barrels. The company’s craft brands once topped 3 million barrels but have been in decline since the late 2010s.

Blue Moon, the top-selling craft brand nationwide in scan data, has declined 460,000 barrels since reaching a peak of 2.225 million barrels in 2015. In 2022, Blue Moon’s output declined -3%, to 1.765 million barrels, its lowest point since 2011’s 1.725 million barrels. The decline followed modest +1% growth in 2021.

All other Molson Coors craft brands declined in 2022, including:

  • Leinenkugel’s (-9%, to 525,200 barrels);
  • Hop Valley (-14%, to 95,000 barrels);
  • Terrapin (-8%, to 90,000 barrels);
  • Revolver (-5%, to 30,000 barrels);
  • Atwater (-3%, to 15,500 barrels).

Molson Coors discontinued the Saint Archer brand in early 2022. The brand’s volume zeroed out last year following 40,000 barrels in 2021.

Declines for Lagunitas, Founders, Anchor

Heineken-owned Lagunitas Brewing Co’s output declined -4% year-over-year, to 860,000 barrels. The Petaluma, California-based craft brewery’s production has declined each year since peaking at more than 1.072 million barrels in 2019.

The craft portfolios of a handful of other larger breweries declined double-digits, including FIFCO USA (-41%), Constellation Brands (-21%), Mahou San Miguel (-15%) and Sapporo (-10%).

Mahou San Miguel-owned Founders Brewing declined -16%, to 455,000 barrels. The Michigan craft brewery has lost 137,000 barrels since its height of 592,000 barrels in 2020. Sister brand Avery Brewing Co. increased its output +6%, to 48,444 barrels, following four years of either declines or flat volume.

The year-over-year declines for FIFCO USA-owned legacy brands Magic Hat (-14%, to 12,000 barrels) and Pyramid (-67%, to 5,000 barrels) continued as its parent company has shifted the focus to flavored malt beverages, such as Seagram’s Escapes and Lipton Hard Tea. In 2014, Magic Hat (181,000 barrels) and Pyramid (94,000 barrels) combined for 275,000 barrels, a high point they haven’t touched in the years since.

Constellation Brands’ lead craft brand Funky Buddha declined -14%, to 37,500 barrels, shedding the +15% growth attained in 2021 and returning to the level the Florida brewery was at in 2020. Dallas, Texas-based Four Corners Brewing shed more than half of its volume and declined -52%, to 5,000 barrels.

Sapporo-owned Anchor Brewing Co.’s volume declined -10%, to 65,000 barrels, last year. The decline followed a +45% increase in output in 2021 after four years of steep double-digit declines for the San Francisco craft brewery.

Sapporo’s craft portfolio will receive a boost when 2023’s numbers are released, as it will include the acquisition of Stone Brewing, which ranked as the No. 7 BA-defined craft brewery by volume, with output of 376,347 barrels (+3% YoY).