Number of Permitted Brewers In The US Reaches All-Time High Of 2,751

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Jason, Dec 13, 2012.

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  1. Jason

    Jason Founder (0) Aug 23, 1996 Massachusetts

    WASHINGTON, DC (December 2012) – The Beer Institute announced new data today showing that the number of active permitted brewers rose to a historic high of 2,751, as reported by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). This high water mark is up from 2,309 active permitted brewers in 2011. This is the highest number of U.S. brewers ever recorded by the Beer Institute.

    In 2012 the industry gained 442 new brewers with California gaining 31 brewers, Texas gaining 29, and Colorado, Illinois and Washington all gaining 28 each.

    “This is an exciting time for beer. Today we have more breweries in the United States than ever before. New brewers are opening at a record pace, while brewers both big and small are delivering innovations in styles, flavors and packaging,” said Joe McClain, President of the Beer Institute, the trade association that represents beer brewers and importers.

    “Whether it is a major brewery that supports thousands of good-paying jobs or a microbrewer that is expanding, brewers help our economy by drawing on a wide range of supporting industries – farming, manufacturing, distributing and service workers who help deliver beer to the consumer. Today, there are more than 1.8 million Americans at work because of beer,” McClain said.

    An economic analysis shows that brewing and importing accounts for $223.8 billion in economic output, with employees earning nearly $71.2 billion in wages and benefits, and generating more than $44 billion in tax revenues.

    The Beer Institute, established in 1986, is the national trade association for the brewing industry, representing both large and small brewers, as well as importers and industry suppliers. The Institute is committed to the development of sound public policy and to the values of civic duty and personal responsibility: www.beerinstitute.org

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  2. Seanvino

    Seanvino Devotee (375) Jan 5, 2009 California

    What I find interesting looking at the graph is that it took to about 1995 to reach the number of permitted breweries in about 1908. Then think about the ration of breweries to population. We're heading there but have a way to go until those ratios are equal.
     
    Jason likes this.
  3. Jason

    Jason Founder (0) Aug 23, 1996 Massachusetts

    Some state laws will have to change or go away all together for this to happen ...
     
  4. Groenebeor

    Groenebeor Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2009 California

    Very impressive. I wonder what the break down is of those that drink craft, per generation.
     
  5. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    By using "permitted" - does that necessarily mean that all of these "permitted" breweries are presently brewing a product or are some of them approved but not yet brewing/distributing/selling?
     
  6. sandiego67

    sandiego67 Initiate (0) Feb 25, 2008 California

    Back in the late 1880's into the early 1900's, transportation of beer was limited. Refrigeration was still a luxury so brewers were limited in how far they could ship their beer. Therefore, small breweries serving local communities were much more prevalent.

    Today, the "small" breweries (Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium) can make dozens of styles of beer and ship all over the country and therefore the need for thousands of breweries is not needed.

    A comparison of beer production and per capita consumption between then and now would be much more relevant.
     
  7. mountsnow1010

    mountsnow1010 Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2009 Vermont

    So everyone and their mother IS opening a brewery...
     
  8. loony4lambic

    loony4lambic Initiate (0) Nov 26, 2012 California

    yep. I love this scene, and everything it stands for. I support brewers, etc.. But Honestly. Half of the breweries open Today, are not that great. Folks who have literally brewed 3-4 batches of homebrew are deciding to open commercial breweries, and its really just taking up space.

    With that said, I have been brainstorming brewery Ideas for years, Not saying I deserve it more then the next guy. But I do have a sense of what Im talking about. and a very vast knowledge of beer and brewing, on a homebrew level and a commercial level. My county is not allowing any more breweries to open because their are too many. Theres a local brewery here who does their brews with Briess LME, COME ON. Shut their doors and make room for people who actully know what they are doing, and care about the art.
     
  9. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    My Mom's opened yesterday!
     
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  10. UCLABrewN84

    UCLABrewN84 Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2010 California

    Cool, more ticks.
     
    slatetupelo likes this.
  11. Seanvino

    Seanvino Devotee (375) Jan 5, 2009 California

    Make sense to me. Would the decline in breweries on the graph from ~1905 to ~1915 be attributed better transportation (via rail I would assume) or were there other factors (prohibitionist)?
     
  12. FunkyMacGroovin

    FunkyMacGroovin Initiate (0) Sep 22, 2009 California

    The number of breweries starts to sharply increase at about the same time I was born. Coincidence?
     
  13. sandiego67

    sandiego67 Initiate (0) Feb 25, 2008 California

    "In the beginning of the 20th century, there were Temperance organizations in nearly every state. By 1916, over half of the U.S. states already had statutes that prohibited alcohol. In 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the sale and manufacture of alcohol, was ratified. It went into effect on January 16, 1920."
     
  14. rlcoffey

    rlcoffey Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2004 Kentucky

    On another (non-beer) forum, I said that graph shows the end of the industrial age and the beginning of the information age.

    Industrial age was about economy of scale/transportation/shipping etc, so the smooth curve reduction in breweries is perfectly in line.

    I think Toffler's stuff is somewhat silly, but it has some points to it.

    Third Wave
     
  15. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    It would be more of a coincidence if the number of breweries increased when you turned 21.
     
  16. FunkyMacGroovin

    FunkyMacGroovin Initiate (0) Sep 22, 2009 California

    Well there is that huge uptick beginning in 2008...
     
  17. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    DOUBLE WHAMMY. IT MUST BE TRUE.
     
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