Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer, than larger "macro" breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, new flavours, and varied brewing techniques.
Deschutes Brewery is a craft brewery in the northwest United States, located in Bend, Oregon. Founded in 1988 as a brew pub, it is known for such products as Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale. In 2008, the brewery opened a second pub in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon. Deschutes Brewery ships beer to 28 states, the District of Columbia, and around the world from its main brewing facility. The brewery is named after the Deschutes River, which runs through Oregon. As of 2016, Deschutes was the eighth-largest craft brewery and fifteenth-largest overall brewery in the U.S., producing 250,000 US beer barrels (290,000 hL) in 2012.
Stone Brewing is a brewery headquartered in Escondido, California, USA. Founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, it is the largest brewery in Southern California. Based on 2020 sales volume it is the ninth largest craft brewery in the United States.
The North Coast Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Fort Bragg, California. As of 2018, it is the 46th-largest craft brewer by annual sales volume in the United States.
The U.S. state of Vermont is home to several breweries, microbreweries, nanobreweries, and brewpubs that produce a wide variety of beer.
Midnight Sun Brewing Company (MSBC) is a craft brewery that produces over 40 different ales and lagers each year. Founded in 1995, it is Anchorage, Alaska's first brewery and the second oldest in state history, following Alaska Brewing Co. in 1986. The brewery has been in their current location since May 2009, with a tap-house and full-service restaurant. MSBC has won several awards for their beers, including medals from the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. The brewery sells its beers in 12-oz cans, 22-oz bottles, 5 gallon kegs, and 64 oz growlers. Their U.S. distribution is limited to AK, WA, ID, OR, CA, HI, and NY.
The Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, Virginia is a brewery that is part of Virginia's Brew Ridge Trail along with Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Starr Hill Brewery, and others in the area. Blue Mountain was the first microbrewery to open in Nelson County. They cultivate 1/3 acre of mainly Cascade-variety hops and have had a focus on the industry's agricultural traditions since they opened. One of their seasonal beers, Blue Reserve, took home the first-ever medal (Silver) for a beer hopped solely with Virginia hops at the world's largest beer competition, the Great American Beer Festival, in 2011 for the American-Belgo Ale category.
Breweries in New Hampshire produce a wide range of beers in different styles that are marketed locally, regionally, and nationally. Brewing companies vary widely in the volume and variety of beer produced, from small nanobreweries and microbreweries to massive multinational conglomerate macrobreweries.
The Devils Backbone Brewing Company is a brewpub located in Roseland, Virginia, owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. It was established in 2008 by Steven Crandall. In 2012, a 15,000 square foot production facility and tap room, referred to as "The Outpost", was established near Lexington, Virginia. In 2016, the company was purchased by Anheuser-Busch InBev, meaning that Devils Backbone Brewing Company would no longer meet the Brewers Association definition of a "craft brewery", since ownership by Anheuser-Busch InBev exceeds the definition's 25% maximum ownership by a non-craft brewery.
Port City Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the first production brewery to operate in Alexandria since Prohibition, when the Robert Portner Brewing Company closed its doors. Port City was named the 2015 Small Brewing Company of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival.
Basil T's Brewery was a brewpub in Red Bank in Monmouth County, New Jersey. In 1987 Victor Rallo Jr., his brother and late father opened and Italian restaurant, then converted into a brewpub 1996. The brewery opened a second location in Toms River in 1997, which was later sold and renamed Artisan's Brewery. The brewery produces 650 barrels of beer per year. In 2014 the owners re-opened as Birravino.
San Diego County, California, has been called "the Craft Beer Capital of America". As of 2018, the county was home to 155 licensed craft breweries – the most of any county in the United States. Based on 2016 sales volume, three San Diego County breweries – Stone, Green Flash, and Karl Strauss – rank among the 50 largest craft brewers in the United States. San Diego County brewers pioneered the specialty beer style known as Double India Pale Ale, sometimes called San Diego Pale Ale. Its beer culture is a draw for tourism, particularly during major festivals such as San Diego Beer Week and the San Diego International Beer Competition. San Diego County breweries including Stone Brewing Co., AleSmith Brewing Company and Ballast Point Brewing Company are consistently rated among the top breweries in the world.
The Albuquerque craft beer market consists of a growing list of local emerging alcohol manufacturing and retail businesses catering to a target consumption audience. According to 2011 US Census Bureau data, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area has 29 establishments categorized under the 445(3)(1) Beer, Wine, and Liquor stores designations. The New Mexico Secretary of State's website shows of the 123 brewing businesses applying for a license in the State of New Mexico, 70 were current and 23 were specific to Albuquerque. According to the Brewers Association, craft beers sales have grown 15% in the last year, while standard beers like Budweiser, Miller Lite, and Coors have only seen a 1% increase.
No-Li Brewhouse is a brewery and restaurant in Spokane, Washington, United States, co-founded by brewmaster Mark Irvin and beer industry executive John Bryant, expanding on Irvin's Northern Lights Brewery. The brewery is known for its emphasis on local sourcing and local production; in 2013 it was designated a "Spokane Style Beer" producer. Formerly known as Northern Lights Brewing, the company markets such beers as Born & Raised IPA and Big Juicy IPA.
Porter is a style of beer that was developed in London, England in the early 18th century. It is well-hopped and dark in appearance owing to the use of brown malt. The name is believed to have originated from its popularity with porters.
Ghost Hawk Brewing Company is a microbrewery in Clifton and is the one of two production breweries in Passaic County, New Jersey.
Celeste Beatty is the first Black woman to own a brewery in the United States. She established her brewery, Harlem Brewing Company, in 2000.
