Top 50 Breweries (By Production)

From BeerNews.org:

I present to you my top 50 breweries of 2010 by production. [Ed. Note: This is NOT a top 50 list of the "best" breweries.]

Below is the result of weeks of research and communication with breweries about 2010 production. I make no claims to 100% accuracy as there are estimates (both from myself and the breweries themselves) included in the determination of these rankings.
Some caveats and assumptions:

• Because it is very challenging to get information on a specific brewery/brand basis for the top producers like AB-Inbev, MillerCoors and North American Breweries, these breweries are held out of the small brewery rankings for the most part Genesee and Leinenkugel’s are two glaring omissions that come to mind. Because Magic Hat and Pyramid data was available through 2009, it was easy enough to project 2010 production so I’ve included them.
• Some breweries in this list contract beer for others. Some of that contract production may be included or excluded depending on the brewery. If I do this again, I will be more conscious of that.
• I have cut the list off at the top 50 because I question the accuracy/data a bit after that. There are other breweries that produced more than 30,000 barrels that fall below the top 50.
• Both lists include breweries that are not considered, by definition, “craft” breweries.
• Where the production of two breweries is close and an estimate is present, I have made it a tie between the two breweries.
• The top dozen or so beer vendors included in the top list are largely ranked based on Symphony IRI data.

More analysis will come later this week or next week.

Update: After receiving a tip, I contacted Blue Point Brewing and learned that they had 30%+ growth last year, moving up past 40k barrels. I’ve adjusted the lists to reflect this change so they now go to 51.

Update II: After a couple discussions, I can’t help but wonder whether I am leaving out some contract brewers like City Brewing, Cold Spring Brewery, etc. Again, do not take these lists as gospel though I stand by them as a fairly accurate first attempt.

The Top 50 Brewing Companies/Beer Vendors of 2010 
• 1. Anheuser-Busch InBev
• 2. MillerCoors Brewing
• 3. Crown Imports (Corona, St. Pauli, etc.)
• 4. Heineken USA Inc.
• 5. Pabst Brewing
• 6. North American Breweries (Genesee, Independent Brewers United, etc.
• 7. Diageo USA
• 8. Boston Beer Co.
• 8. D.G. Yuengling & Son
• 10. Mark Anthony Brands (Mike’s Hard, Peroni, etc.)
• 11. Phusion Projects (Four Loko)
• 12. Sierra Nevada Brewing
• 13. New Belgium Brewing
• 14. Craft Brewers Alliance (Redhook, Widmer, Kona)
• 15. Gambrinus Company (Spoetzl, BridgePort, Pete’s)
• 16. Minhas Craft Brewery
• 17. Deschutes Brewery
• 18. F.X. Matt Brewing
• 19. Bell’s Brewery
• 20. Boulevard Brewing
• 21. Harpoon Brewery
• 22. Goose Island Beer Company
• 23. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
• 24. Alaskan Brewing
• 24. Long Trail/Otter Creek Brewing
• 26. August Schell Brewing
• 27. Stone Brewing
• 28. Gordon Biersch Brewing
• 28. Abita Brewing
• 30. Brooklyn Brewery
• 31. Lagunitas Brewing
• 32. Full Sail Brewing
• 33. Shipyard Brewing
• 34. Summit Brewing
• 35. Great Lakes Brewing
• 35. New Glarus Brewing
• 37. Anchor Brewers and Distillers
• 38. CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries, Inc. (Rock Bottom, GB Restaurants, etc.)
• 39. Rogue Ales
• 40. Firestone Walker Brewing
• 41. SweetWater Brewing
• 42. Flying Dog Brewery
• 43. Mendocino Brewing
• 44. Victory Brewing
• 45. Lost Coast Brewery
• 46. Odell Brewing
• 47. BridgePort Brewing
• 48. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery
• 49. Straub Brewery
• 50. Blue Point Brewing
• 51. Oskar Blues Brewery

The Top 50 Small Brewing Companies of 2010 (split from parent companies) 

2,000,000+ barrels

• 1. Boston Beer Co.
• 1. D.G. Yuengling & Son

500,000+ barrels

• 3. Sierra Nevada Brewing
• 4. New Belgium Brewing

200,000+ barrels

• 5. Spoetzl Brewery
• 6. Minhas Craft Brewery
• 7. Widmer Brothers Brewing
• 8. Deschutes Brewery

150,000+ barrels

• 9. Pyramid Breweries
• 10. Redhook Ale Brewery
• 11. Magic Hat Brewing
• 12. F.X. Matt Brewing
• 13. Bell’s Brewery
• 14. Boulevard Brewing
• 15. Harpoon Brewery

100,000+ barrels

• 16. Kona Brewing
• 17. Goose Island Beer Company
• 18. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
• 19. Alaskan Brewing
• 20. August Schell Brewing
• 21. Stone Brewing
• 22. Gordon Biersch Brewing
• 22. Abita Brewing
• 24. Brooklyn Brewery
• 25. Lagunitas Brewing
• 26. Full Sail Brewing

75,000+ barrels

• 27. Shipyard Brewing
• 28. Summit Brewing
• 29. Great Lakes Brewing
• 29. New Glarus Brewing
• 31. Anchor Brewers and Distillers
• 31. Long Trail Brewing
• 33. Rogue Ales
• 34. Firestone Walker Brewing
• 35. SweetWater Brewing

30,000+ barrels

• 36. Flying Dog Brewery
• 37. Mendocino Brewing
• 38. Victory Brewing
• 39. Lost Coast Brewery
• 40. Odell Brewing
• 41. BridgePort Brewing
• 42. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery
• 43. Straub Brewery
• 43. Rock Bottom Restaurants
• 45. Blue Point Brewing
• 46. Oskar Blues Brewery
• 47. Stevens Point Brewery
• 48. Big Sky Brewing
• 49. Mac and Jack’s Brewing
• 50. Saint Louis Brewery (Schlafly)
• 51. Karl Strauss Brewing