The Brewers Association today released its annual rankings of the top 50 U.S. beer companies based on 2016 sales volumes.
Official production data, as tabulated by the BA, won’t be released until April, but here’s how the country’s largest beer companies stacked up in 2016:
Topping the craft-only list once again was Pennsylvania’s D.G. Yuengling & Son, which was first considered a “craft brewer” by the BA in 2014 after the organization revised its official definition.
“With such a broad range of brewers in today’s beer landscape, the leading small and independent producers have helped build the craft brewing industry to what it is today,” BA chief economist Bart Watson said via a release. “Embracing their experience and ability to thrive and overcome challenges, the top producing craft brewers will continue to inspire, innovate and influence the future of beer.”
There were few changes among the top 10 craft entities, the most notable being Duvel Moortgat, which now comprises Boulevard Brewing, Firestone Walker and Brewery Ommegang in the U.S., moving up nine places. Duvel slid into the sixth spot, supplanting Lagunitas Brewing, which is no longer considered a craft brewer in the eyes of the BA after the company sold a 50 percent stake to Heineken International in late 2015.
Stone Brewing also jumped one spot, to No. 9, as Wisconsin’s Minhas Craft Brewery — which primarily brews beer on behalf of other brands — fell to No. 12 on the list.
Oskar Blues Holding Company — which includes Oskar Blues, Cigar City, Perrin Brewing and the Utah Brewers Cooperative (Wasatch and Squatters) — also climbed four spots, to No. 10 on the list.
Making its first appearance at No. 13 on the list was Artisanal Brewing Ventures, the family office-backed rollup that includes Southern Tier Brewing and Victory Brewing.
A number of large national and regional craft beer companies such as Dogfish Head (14), Sweetwater Brewing (15) and New Glarus (16), among others, also moved up the list, primarily as a result of the BA’s efforts to consolidate how it reports production for brewing groups like Duvel USA and Oskar Blues Holding Company.
Also enabling other craft companies to move up the list was the fact that Lagunitas and Ballast Point, which sold to Constellation Brands in 2015 for $1 billion and is also no longer considered to be a craft brewer by the BA, were removed from the Top 50 craft list.
In addition to ranking the top craft breweries, the BA also tallied production from the industry’s “Top 50 Overall Brewing Companies.”
On that list, which was topped by Anheuser-Busch InBev, Lagunitas checked in at No. 9 and Ballast Point ranked No. 13. Michigan’s Founders Brewing, which sold a 30 percent stake to Mahou San Miguel in 2014, ranked 16th.
MillerCoors is the second largest U.S. brewing company and Pabst Brewing rounded out the top three.
Previous Top 50 Lists: