Even though the 12 largest beer companies in US dominate the market, the top three companies are its absolute leaders as they own large portfolios of brands and are actually among the 10 largest beer brewing companies in the world. The beer market in the US is valued at around $107.60 billion, according to the Brewers Association.
Latest trends show that the consumption of Alcohol among the US population has declined. According to a Fortune article, in 2016, Americans consumed 3.39 billion nine-liter cases of alcohol, down by 3.5 million nine-liter cases compared to 2015. This was the first annual decline since 2011.
Nevertheless, alcohol remains to be popular among Americans. According to a Gallup poll in 2016, 65% of Americans drink alcoholic beverage, but a quarter of drinkers say that they drink too much sometimes. At the same time, beer remains the alcohol of choice for most Americans. Out of the total number of Americans who drink alcohol, 43% say they prefer beer, while 32% and 20% prefer wine and liquor, respectively.
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At the same time, the US beer market has not grown last year, according to the Brewers Association. A total of 196.75 million barrels (one barrel has 31 gallons) were sold last year, the majority of which (139.28 million barrels) was domestic beer, followed by imported beer (33.37 million barrels) and craft beer (24.10 million barrels). Craft beer is a type of beer that is made using traditional technologies and is usually what small breweries produce. Currently there are around 6,500 craft breweries in the country.
Beer has been around for thousands of years, but it has become widely available during the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century. In the US, beer was made by Native Americans, who used maize, birch sap and water. With the colonization, the brewing technologies and traditions from England and the Netherland were brought to North America and the first commercial brewery in the US was built in 1632 by the Dutch West India Company. In the 19th century, German immigrants brought their own brewing technologies, which proved to be more profitable for large-scale manufacturing as the beer had a longer shelf-life.
In this way, beer has been the dominant alcoholic beverage among Americans for centuries. Even during the Prohibition, when production, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was made illegal, started to crumble starting with the legalization of beer. During World War II, beer makers got the approval of the government to manufacture beer for servicemen and started to promote beer among the American population.
Because the majority of smaller breweries closed during the prohibition, and the beginning of the World War II affected the recovery of the industry, only large breweries managed to survive and even thrive, as during the war, the beer production surged by 40%. That’s when companies like Anheuser Busch Inbev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD) and Molson Coors Brewing Co (NYSE:TAP) got a lot of traction and continue to remain market leaders.
Having said that, let’s take a closer look at 12 largest beer companies in US. The list is compiled based on the Brewers Association list of top 50 overall brewing companies. We added Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) as it is a US-headquartered importer of beer.
1. Anheuser Busch Inbev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD)
Anheuser Busch Inbev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD) is the largest beer manufacturer in the world, with sales of $45.5 billion last year. Last year, Anheuser Busch Inbev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD) sold 500.24 million hectoliters worldwide, including 116.89 million hectoliters (3.09 billion gallons) in North America. Among Anheuser Busch Inbev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD)’s brands in the US are Beck’s Busch, Goose Island, Landshark, Elysian, and Four Peaks.
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2. Molson Coors Brewing Co (NYSE:TAP)
Molson Coors Brewing Co (NYSE:TAP) is a multinational brewing company that was formed through the merger of Canadian Molson and US company Coors. Its core brands in the US are Coors Light and Miller Lite, but it also manufactures beers under the Coors Banquet, Keystone, Icehouse, Miller 64, and other brands. In the US, it has a market share of 25%, being the second-largest after Anheuser Busch. It’s second on our list of largest beer companies in US, as well. Molson Coors Brewing Co (NYSE:TAP) generated sales of $6.99 billion in 2016.
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3. Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)
Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) is a Fortune 500 company that manufactures and sells beer and other alcoholic beverages. Out of sales of $7.33 billion recorded in its last fiscal year, 57.7% were beer sales. In the US, Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) is dominating the market with a range of imported Mexican beer brands, including Corona, Modelo, Pacifico and Victoria. Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ)’s Corona Extra is the best-selling imported beer in the country and the fifth-best selling beer overall.
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4. Pabst Brewing Company
Our number 4 on the list of largest beer companies in US is Pabst Brewing Company who owns over 20 brands, including Lone Star, Ballantine, Pearl, Pabst, Rainer, and Schlitz. The original brewery was founded in 1844, but the company currently does not make beer and uses other companies’ breweries for production.
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5. D. G. Yuengling & Son, Inc
D. G. Yuengling & Son, Inc is the oldest brewery in the US that is still operational. It was opened in 1892 and is currently one of the largest breweries by volume in the country. According to the Brewers Association, D. G. Yuengling & Son, Inc is the top craft brewing company in the US. The company makes around 2.8 million barrels of beer per year.
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6. North American Breweries
North American Breweries is the parent company that includes three subsidiaries: Genesee Brewing Company, Pyramid, and Magic Hat. New York-headquartered North American Breweries was formed by investment firm KPS Capital Partners to manage its acquisitions in the brewing business. Among North American Breweries’ brands are Genesee, Dundee, Labatt Lime, Mactarnahan;s, Magic Hat, Portland, and Pyramid.
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7. Boston Beer Company Inc (NYSE:SAM)
In 2016, Boston Beer Company Inc (NYSE:SAM) sold around 4.0 million barrels of beer. The company’s portfolio includes around 60 beers under the Samuel Adams and the Sam Adams brand names, over 20 hard cider beverages under the Angry Orchard name, 13 flavored malt beverages under the Twisted Tea name, four hard seltzer beverages under the Truly Spiked & Sparkling name, and over 40 beers under the four brand names of its subsidiary, A&S Brewing.
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8. Sierra Nevada Brewing Companies
Next on our list of 12 largest beer companies in US is Sierra Nevada Brewing Companies, which has annual sales of around 1.10 million barrels. The company was founded in 1979 and has made one of its founders, Ken Grossman, a billionaire. The company makes beers under the Pale Ale, Porter, Stout, Nooner Pilsner, and other names, as well as some seasonal beers, like Tumbler Brown Ale and Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale, which are released in autumn and winter, respectively.
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9. New Belgium Brewing Co
New Belgium Brewing Co is a craft brewery that produces around 920,000 barrels per year. Its flagship brand is Fat Tire, an amber ale, and other brand names include, Glutiny Pale Ale, Voodoo Ranger IPA, New Belgium Bohemian Pilsner, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Lager, and Abbey Belgian Ale.
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10. Lagunitas Brewing Co
At nuber ten on our list of largest beer companies in US we have Lagunitas Brewing Co, is a California-based craft brewery that is fully-owned by Heineken International. The company produces around 916,000 barrels per year. Among its beers are IPA, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, Pils, DogTown Ale, Aunt Sally, and Day Time.
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11. Craft Brew Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:BREW)
Craft Brew Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:BREW) is a craft brewing company that owns a variety of brands including brands of the Kona Brewing Company, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Redhook Brewery, Omission Beer, and Square Mile Cider Company. Craft Brew Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:BREW) registered sales of $202.5 million in 2016 and sold 775,600 barrels during the year.
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12. Gambrinus
The Gambrinus company is a private craft beer company located in San Antonio, Texas. The company makes beer under the Shiner Beers brands. Its other brands include Trumer Pils and Bridgeport Brewing.
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These are the 12 largest beer companies in US, but as you can see the market is dominated by the top three companies, Anheuser Busch Inbev NV (ADR) (NYSE:BUD), Molson Coors Brewing Co (NYSE:TAP), Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ), which have expanded and pursued mergers and acquisitions over the year to acquire dozens of smaller companies and brands. The list did not include Diageo plc (ADR) (NYSE:DEO) and Heineken, because their US subsidiaries are mostly engaged in import and they don’t have large brewing facilities in the country. Nevertheless, their brands also occupy a sizable chunk of the market.
Disclosure: none
