Trying to define craft beer is a difficult task, as beer can be very subjective and a personal experience. To make a true craft beer definition even more difficult, each individual beer brand is one of a kind.

However, our parent organization, the Brewers Association, does define an American craft brewer. This definition allows the organization to provide statistics on the growing craft brewery segment which makes up 99 percent of all breweries in the U.S.

Craft Beer in the United States

Today is the best time in U.S. history to be a beer lover. As a nation, the U.S. now has more beer styles (150+) and brands (20,000+) to choose from than any other market in the world.

More than 5,300 breweries are responsible for the beer brands available in the U.S. and the Brewers Association estimates more than 2,000 craft breweries are in the planning stages.

These breweries have had many successes and challenges, but they could not have developed their reputation as producers of the world’s best beer without the support of beer lovers globally. Learn more about American beer history.