Breweries

The 4,922 production breweries in the US include about 155 national or international breweries producing over 6 million barrels per year. Around 260 are regional craft breweries producing between 15,000 and 6 million barrels annually. More than 2,000 microbreweries produce less than 15,000 barrels per year. An additional 3,400 brewpub restaurants and 3,800 taprooms also produce beer on-site.

Industry Highly Regulated

The beer industry is highly regulated at both the state and federal levels.

Competition Among Breweries

The beer industry is highly competitive, with a proliferation of craft and large/non-craft breweries fueling competition.

Aug 13, 2026 - War Raising Brewers' Costs

• The war in Iran and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz are increasing costs for breweries in the US by driving up prices for fuel, aluminum, packaging, and freight, the Wall Street Journal reported in July. Samuel Adams brewer Boston Beer has already raised prices to offset higher commodity costs, including more expensive aluminum, which is also affected by US tariffs, according to WSJ. Rising diesel prices are increasing transportation expenses, while tighter aluminum supplies and higher packaging costs are pressuring profit margins across the beverage industry. Although breweries with strong brands may be able to pass some of these costs on to consumers, smaller craft brewers could face greater margin pressure and weaker demand if higher retail prices discourage beer purchases. Persistent supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures could continue to challenge profitability until shipping through the Strait of Hormuz returns to normal.
• The bipartisan Creating Hospitality Economic Enhancement for Restaurants and Servers (CHEERS) Act, was reintroduced in both the Senate and House in June, the Brewers Association reports. The bill would encourage bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, and brewery taprooms to invest in draft beer systems by allowing faster tax depreciation for kegs, tap systems, and other stainless steel or aluminum draft equipment installed after December 31, 2025. For US breweries, particularly small and independent craft brewers that rely heavily on draft sales, the legislation could spur upgrades to draft infrastructure, increase on-premise beer sales, and expand the use of reusable keg packaging. By lowering the after-tax cost of draft equipment, the bill would strengthen an important sales channel for breweries and help improve the quality and availability of draft beer in restaurants and bars. However, the CHEERS Act has been introduced three times and has yet to be enacted.
• Rising costs and supply disruptions for carbon dioxide can create operational challenges for breweries, but new technologies are offering solutions, VinePair reports. At Alameda, California-based Almanac Beer Company, an unreliable carbon dioxide supply and higher prices, partly driven by global disruptions, have forced temporary production shutdowns. To address the problem, the brewery partnered with Aircapture to source carbon dioxide directly from the air using on-site capture machines. Their alternative supply is 15-20% cheaper and more reliable than traditional suppliers, helping stabilize production and reduce costs, according to VinePair. For breweries facing growing risks tied to input volatility, especially for essential materials like carbon dioxide used in carbonation, capture is a possible solution. While there isn’t a nationwide shortage of carbon dioxide at present, the supply remains fragile and prone to occasional disruption, resulting in higher costs, operational risk, and innovation in sourcing.
• The Producer Price Index for breweries, which measures the selling price received by producers, reached a new high in June, up 0.8% compared to a year ago, after rising 1.2% in the previous June-to-June annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Rising input and production costs have driven producer prices for breweries to record highs this year. At the retail level, beer-at-home beer-away-from-home prices each increased 3.1% year over year in June, according to the Labor Department’s June 2026 Consumer Price Index report. Meanwhile, employment by breweries, wineries and distilleries shrank 2.5% YoY in May, per the BLS.

Industry size & Structure

The average brewery employs 19 workers and generates over $6 million in annual sales.

• There are approximately 8,135 production breweries in the US, according to the Treasury Department. About two-thirds (5,347 breweries) produce 1,000 barrels or fewer annually, while only 26 breweries produce over 1 million barrels per year. In 2024, US breweries produced nearly 175 million barrels of beer.
• The typical global brewery brews 100 million barrels annually, with revenue per barrel of approximately $125 (a barrel is 31 gallons).
• The top three global breweries – Belgium-based AB InBev, Netherlands-based Heineken, and China Resources Snow Breweries – commanded about half of the global beer market in 2024. Imported beer comprises nearly 18% of all beer consumed in the US.
• Regional craft breweries include Boston Beer Company, Sierra Nevada, and New Belgium. These breweries typically distribute nationally and often internationally. The 280-or-so regional breweries produce around 15.6 million barrels of beer annually.
• Regional craft breweries produced about 67% of craft beer volume in 2024, while microbreweries and taprooms produced 16.4% and 8.3%, respectively, according to the Brewers Association.
• About 3,550 US brewpubs produce 1.5 million barrels of beer each year.
• Per capita, Americans consume about 28 gallons of beer annually. North Dakota, New Hampshire and Montana lead the nation in beer consumption with more than 40 gallons per capita. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Utah consume the least with about half that amount per capita.