The 10 Biggest U.S. Craft Breweries
Accounting for $7 billion in the U.S. beer market, craft breweries have seen a surge in sales during the recession, compared to the overall beer industry.
Craft breweries, defined as those that produce less than 2 million barrels of beer annually, are becoming an increasingly important part of the U.S. beer industry, quickly gaining ground on global producers like Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors. But in the world of craft breweries, who is king?
Click here to see The 10 Biggest U.S. Craft Breweries Slideshow.
According to the Brewers Association, craft breweries as a group sold approximately 9.12 million barrels of beer in 2009, compared to just over 8.5 million in 2008. The 10 largest U.S. craft breweries account over 4.5 million barrels annually, according to the association's annual rankings by volume. However, even some of the largest craft breweries have distribution limited only a handful of U.S. states and are only widely available in certain regions.
With craft breweries taking off in production, it pays to know which brewers are making the most beer. Click ahead for the largest craft breweries in the U.S. by production volume. Figures are for 2009.
By Paul Toscano
More from CNBC:
America's Best Cities for Happy Hour