The Biggest Brewery
That Produces the
Most Beer in Every State
In America, we’re blessed to be surrounded by states with unique brewing sites that make up the diverse world of American beer. Our thriving beer culture consists of exciting flavors, with traditional brewing practices courtesy of long-standing breweries, to more innovative craft creations delivering high volumes of beer to their state and amassing loyal consumer followings.
In today’s article, we’ll highlight the biggest brewery in every state regarding the amount of beer produced, taking you on a journey across the United States. From delving into their incredible brewing traditions to unique stories and popular beverages, many factors come into being an industry leader.
So, without further ado, grab a cold one and join us as we explore the remarkable world of American brewing, one state at a time.
Northeast Region
The northeast region of America is home to many influential states known for tourism, entertainment, and incredible architecture. But how does the beer industry thrive in these states?
Maine
Allagash Brewery is one of the most famous breweries in Maine, renowned for its Belgian-inspired craft beers, which consist of quality ingredients and use inventive brewing techniques to deliver their incredible taste. With a Portland location, the Allagash Brewery is situated in the most populous part of Maine, giving it a great central location that goes hand in hand with the brewery’s popularity.
Allagash White
Belgian-Style Wheat Beer
Allagash White is the brewery’s flagship beer, gaining widespread acclaim for its refreshing, traditional Belgium taste that sets a high standard for other American wheat beers to follow.
New Hampshire
Smuttynose Brewing Co is home to an eclectic range of high-quality beers with innovative creations that cater to diverse tastes and preferences. Located on Towle Farm in Hampton, Smuttynose delivers excellent craft beer with distinctive packaging that adds more to this unique company.
Unique packaging of Smuttynose
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SBC_rtl4637.jpg
Vermont
With a perfect balance of hops and malt, Fiddlehead Brewing’s flagship IPA is a great craft brew to introduce novices to the exciting world of IPA. The brewery specializes in approachable, consistent beer that appeals to a wide variety of beer drinkers, with year-round and seasonal beverages to catch the eyes of loyal and new customers.
Fiddlehead IPA is one of the brewery’s year-round offerings, with the perfect balance of dry, bitter, and refreshing notes seamlessly blending together for a classic IPA flavor. In fact, the flavor is so definitive that this IPA is now the best-selling craft beer in Vermont!
Massachusetts
Boston Beer Co has a few different offerings under its wing, including the iconic Samuel Adam brand. Samuel Adams is one of the innovative breweries that started the craft beer revolution, using traditional processes and quality ingredients to deliver sublime tastes and products that make the brand so iconic.
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samadams.jpg
For those that love Samuel Adams and the taste of this beer, you can visit the Boston Brewery to learn about the beer’s crafting and brewhouse development. Despite the brewery first opening its doors in Boston, there are now immersive experiences across The States as Samuel Adams continues to make their mark as one of the most exciting breweries.
Rhode Island
Narragansett Brewing Co started all the way back in 1890, with six German immigrants coming together to create the brewery building and start brewing. Ten years later, Narragansett became the best-selling beer in New England and is still renowned today as one of the most popular classic American beers, with a rich brewing heritage that ensures it stands out from competitors.
Narragansett Brewing
Co started all the way
back in 1890
Connecticut
If you’re partial to an alcoholic beverage (which we assume you are if you’re reading this article), chances are you’ll have heard of Guinness. The Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Connecticut showcases the wonderful innovation of Guinness, honing in on the brewing experimentation that dates back over 100 years since the brand’s beginning.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Guinness_Factory.jpg
Behind the gates, you can find out how the milling, mashing, boiling, and fermenting processes work in accordance with one another to produce the iconic taste of Guinness, with Irish grains used to implement the traditional flavors of this brand.
New York
Although Heineken is a Dutch brewing company, Heineken USA is the American arm of the business, with popular offerings such as Amstel, Heineken, and Dos Equis. And there is much history regarding Heineken and the USA, as it was the first import after prohibition in 1933.
Now, the green bottle is one of the most well-known beers on the planet.
New Jersey
Cape May Brewing Co is best known for its coastal-inspired beers and is one of the most-known breweries in the region. The brand is committed to community engagement and sustainability, with exciting flavor combinations from sea salt and lime to lavender and coffee.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cape_May_Brewing_Company.jpg
and lime
and coffee.
Despite the fact Cape May is now one of the most successful craft breweries in New Jersey, “the company started from humble beginnings only twelve years ago, back in 2011.
Since then, the brewery has gone from strength to strength, opening a beach bar and having one of the most successful tasting rooms in the state.
Cape May Brewing
Started in
2011
Pennsylvania
D.G. Yuengling and Son Inc is America’s oldest operating brewery, with its original brew, Lord Chesterfield Ale, brewed in 1829. The brewery took a while to take off, with various pitstops along the way until the end of the prohibition in 1933.
Yuengling delivered a truckload of ‘Winner Beer’ to celebrate its end to President Franklin. D Roosevelt, signaling the start of a new era and a brand that has continued to successfully grow since.
Southeast Region
America’s Southeast is highly renowned for its rich natural resources and music scene, and the alcohol industry also has much cultural significance.
Delaware
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery is one of the newer companies on our list, starting in 1995 in Rehoboth Beach as the state’s first brew pub. The brewery features off-centered ales and innovative beer styles, continuously pushing the boundaries of traditional brewing.
Take Dogfish’s latest addition, Citrus Squall, for an example of their unique crafting approach.
This beverage takes hazy golden-orange ale and injects it with the notes of a Paloma cocktail, bringing sensational flavors of grapefruit, blue agave nectar, lime peels, and salt into one flamboyant can.
Maryland
Flying Dog Brewery is a company centered around creativity and boldness, merging unconventional ingredients with striking artwork to produce an unforgettable and diverse line of beer products. The brewery has an intriguing backstory, which continues to come to life through exciting creations.
One of the brewery’s year-round IPAs that encapsulates the heart of the brand is Snake Dog, a potent beer combing five hops with tropical and orange aromas for a crispness that ensures this beer has both classic and complex notes that are like nothing you’ve tasted before.
Beer combing five hops with
tropical and orange aromas
Virginia
Hardywood Park Craft Brewing is a brewery started by two lifelong friends with a shared goal of brewing with purpose. Through dedication to using local ingredients, engaging with the community, and striving to give back, Hardywood goes above and beyond being a traditional brewery, giving a clear insight into why it is one of the most successful breweries in America.
Brewing
Quality
Sourcing
Local
Environmental
Stewardship
Community
Engagement
Giving
Back
West Virginia
Mountain State Brewing Co is a microbrewery based in West Virginia, focussing on handcrafted, high-quality beers inspired by the nature of West Virginia. Despite only pouring its first tap room beer in 2005, Mountain State is one of the longest-standing distributors in the state.
North Carolina
Highland Brewing Company is a pioneering craft brewery based in Asheville with a wide variety of high-quality, sustainably crafted beers.
This brewery goes above and beyond just supplying beer and provides a rooftop bar for the community, with an impressive array of flavors on tap for visitors to try.
Trailbound
Hazy Juicy Ale
Trailbound is a soft, fruity offering that blends melon, grapefruit, and citrus with bitter malts.
Wishing Star
Cold IPA
Wishing Star is more innovative, with specific hops selected to deliver a unique berry aroma.
Two of the latest year-round beers courtesy of Highland are the Trailbound Hazy Juicy Ale and the Wishing Star Cold IPA. Trailbound is a soft, fruity offering that blends melon, grapefruit, and citrus with bitter malts. In contrast, Wishing Star is more innovative, with specific hops selected to deliver a unique berry aroma.
South Carolina
One of South Carolina’s most popular craft breweries is the Westbrook Brewing Co, highly regarded for its experimental approach to flavoring.
Some of the brewery’s most innovative flavors include its lemon meringue and raspberry white chocolate delight brews, providing uniquely fruity and sour twists in addition to classic malts and hops.
lemon
meringue PIE
Brewery’s most
innovative flavors
raspberry white
chocolate delight
Brewery’s most
innovative flavors
Georgia
SweetWater Brewing Company is a well-known brewery based in Atlanta, offering a unique range of thirst-quenching beers that keep consumers on their toes due to the exciting seasonal offerings that change every few months. Of course, they offer their year-round products, too, with lagers, pale ales, and IPAs embodying the laid-back, endearing Southern spirit.
Year Rounds Products
Florida
CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective is a collaborative group of independent breweries joining forces in a dedicated bid to promote innovation and creativity in the craft beer industry. The collective includes breweries such as Oskar Blues and Cigar City Brewing, two bold breweries that inject individualism in all they do, from packaging to unique flavors.
CANarchy Craft Brewery Collectives Facts
585
Employees
7 Manufacturing
Locations
7 Distinct
Brands
490,000 BBLs
Shipped in 2020
18 Pubs and
Taprooms
Midwest Region
The midwest is regarded as America’s “heartland,” with rich nature offerings, friendly cities, and thriving farming industries. Although this region may not be as loud as the hustle and bustle provided by other areas, it is just as influential, and its breweries are here to prove why.
Ohio
Great Lakes Brewing Co is a Cleveland-based craft brewery dedicated to quality crafting processes committed to creating beer the public loves. The ever-expanding offerings include classic flavors and more experimental tastes, with sustainable methods and community engagement at the heart of the Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Their year-round beverages consist of classic beer flavors and offerings, with the Vibacious Double IPA being a firm favorite due to its smooth flavor that pairs beautifully with street food such as chicken wings.
Michigan
Based in Grand Rapids, Founders Brewing Co is constantly pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a brewery. It is committed to building an inclusive workforce and using natural ingredients that add flavor. Founders aim to give consumers a taste of Michigan summer, using outdoor activities and the nature Michigan offers to inspire its craft beer and IPA.
“IT’S NOT
NORMAL
BEER”
Indiana
Founded in 1996, Three Floyds Brewing Co is dedicated to crafting self-acclaimed ‘not normal’ beer, providing an exciting range of flavor combinations and brewing techniques. With seasonal beers offering unusual additions such as bubblegum with banana and year-rounders providing classic pale ales, you can be confident of finding a flavor that works for you..
Kentucky
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co is the only brewery and distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon trail, keeping timeless traditions and processes alive through its award-winning beers and spirits.
Of course, many of the flavors at Lexington are inspired by its Kentucky location, with local ingredients and Bourbon flavorings merging with IPAs and beer.
Wisconsin
New Glarus Brewing Co is run by a devoted couple, Daniel & Deb Carey, and sees handcrafted creations consisting of 100% natural and locally sourced ingredients equate to high-quality, world-class beer. Products aside, New Glarus Brewing Co, is employee-owned, ensuring those that work for the brewery have fair working conditions and wages.
100% natural,
locally sourced,
handcrafted
quality.
Illinois
Molson Coors is a globally renowned name, with many popular beer brands under its wing, such as; Miller, Blue Moon, and Coors. One thing all these brands have in common is their exceptional quality, with Molson Coors offering a diverse variety of beer rich in history and culture.
Has numerous brands, including
Miller, Blue Moon, Coors.
Missouri
Anheuser-Busch is a brewing giant responsible for producing iconic American beers such as Michelob and Budweiser.
As one of the largest brewing companies in the world, Anheuser-Buch has to go above and beyond to cater to a wide variety of tastes and interests, with a consistent effort poured into the brands’ experiences and sourcing almost 100% of ingredients from US farms for flavors drenched in heritage.
Iowa
Toppling Goliath Brewing Co pushes bold, intriguing flavors to the forefront of its line, with a wide variety of styles that cater to beer enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. Iowa is becoming more known for its brewing, and Toppling Goliath is providing some of the best brews throughout northern Iowa, with 40 beers on rotation throughout the year.
Toppling Goliath
Create more than
40 beers on rotation
throughout the year.
King Sue Double Indian Pale Ale
A flagship beer courtesy of Toppling Goliath Brewing Co is their King Sue Double Indian Pale Ale, which has a summery taste due to its light citrusy and fruity notes such as orange, mango, and pineapple. As this is a double IPA, it has a 7.8% strength, packing a punch in one can.
Minnesota
Located in St. Paul, Summit Brewing Co fuses modern ingredients with traditional techniques used by the brewery for the past 30 years. Beer courtesy of Summit Brewing Co is independently made, with conscious techniques and natural processes at the heart of each drink.
The beer that started it all for Summit is their Extra Pale Ale, which marries caramel and biscuit malts together for smoothness with a burst of sharp citrus courtesy of the citrus hop that makes this beer so popular. Even with 36 years to its name, this beer is still a firm favorite, continuing to win awards and capture the attention of beer lovers.
Southwest Region
America’s southwest is one of the most diverse parts of the country, with eclectic cultures and histories coming together to make a unified modern day. Culture goes hand in hand with humid climates, with rocky, mountainous landscapes such as the grand canyon being some of the region’s most iconic destinations.
Texas
Gambrinus is a family-owned, leading independent beer company in San Antonio, Texas.
The company owns and operates several popular craft breweries, with Shiner Beers being their most well-renowned. All Shiner beers are brewed at the Spoetzl Brewery, based in Shiner, Texas, delivering exceptional quality and impactful flavors.
Oklahoma
With their first beer brewed in a bathtub, Prairie Artisan Ales is a brewing company that has defied all odds to get to where they are today, serving unique and artfully crafted beers now distributed across over 40 states. Prairie’s imperial stouts and sour ales are some of their most famous creations, but there are no limits, from their first bathtub innovation to more modern recipes that reflect current markets and legalities.
Arkansas
Lost Forty Brewing Co is a microbrewery in Little Rock, Arkansas, which uses its natural surrounding area as inspiration for its delicious craft beer. Using local produce from honey to rice, Lost Forty Brewing Co injects all things Arkansas into its creations while keeping the mythology of the lost 40 acres at its core.
The brewery’s year-round offerings range from smooth and dry Mexican-style lagers to premium light beer that could be the perfect introduction to those new to craft beer.
If you’re somewhat of a craft beer expert, try Lost Forty’s Rooster Illusion Hazy IPA, a tropical, punchy, hazy IPA that blends flavors of Ale with passionfruit, guava, and mango.
Ingredient & flavors
- A tropical
- Punchy
- Ale with passionfruit
- guava
- mango
Louisiana
Abita Brewing Co is Louisiana’s oldest and largest craft brewery, with over thirty years of experience brewing well-loved beer that consumers can’t get enough of. Now, Abita brews over 125,000 barrels of beer, with a wide range celebrating the rich culture and flavors this exciting region has to offer the industry.
Annually,
Abita brews over
125,000+
barrels of beer
One of Abita’s most loved flavors is their Amber beer, which has even been voted ‘best beer’ in numerous polls due to its enjoyable taste that incorporates smooth caramel malts into a classic lager.
New Mexico
Santa Fe Brewing Company is New Mexico’s oldest microbrewery, with their first Santa Fe Pale Ale created almost three decades ago. Now, the brewery has a variety of award-winning beers that inject various ingredients and techniques into them to embody the Southwestern spirit and quench beer lovers’ thirst.
Social Experiment
Take this as example. This craft beer turns classic hazy flavors on their head, with a cherry and lemon twist that injects vibrancy into your next cold one.
Grand Canyon Brewing Company
available in multiple locations
Arizona
The Grand Canyon Brewing Company is an endearing family-owned brewery located close to the iconic natural wonder, using the magnificent landscape as inspiration for the brewery and its creations. The craft beers produced capture the adventurous lifestyle of Williams, Arizona, with recent additions venturing out to other parts of the state.
West Region
The western region of America is known for having a diverse climate, providing tropical and cold environments with the likes of Hawaii and Alaska belonging to this region. With deserts, beaches, mountains, and cities, this region offers a lot for residents and tourists, and the beer industry slots into this culture.
Colorado
The New Belgium Brewing Co was born in 1988 during a bike trip through Belgium, in which the brewery cofounders were inspired to bring the Belgium brewing tradition to their hometown.
Through years of determination, The New Belgium Brewing Co has become one of the region’s most successful and popular microbreweries, highly regarded for its sustainable production processes and innovation, with the Fat Tire Amber Ale being a firm favorite.
New Belgium
Brewing Company
was born in 1988 during a
bike trip through Belgium
Wyoming
Melvin Brewing is an exciting, award-winning craft brewery that centers its creations around intriguing flavors and characters, injecting humor into each can. Melvin Brewing joins forces with talented artists and illustrators to bring their visions to life, with the flavors inside the can being just as vibrant as the eye-catching illustrations on the outside.
Overall, Melvin Brewing is all about creating a memorable Wyoming drinking experience. The memories kick off when you feast your eyes on the exciting designs of each can, with each character and design giving even more incentive to crack open a cold one! Of course, the tastes provided by Melvin Brewing are incredible, too, with the likes of their 2×4 DIPA winning multiple awards for its clean, floral, and citrusy hop flavor.
Montana
Big Sky Brewing Co. was started by homebrewers, becoming a popular brewery with an eclectic range of handcrafted beers that draw inspiration from Montana’s nature. For example, Moose Drool is one of the most popular brown ales in America, with a common sight of Montana (a moose) taking center stage on the packaging for this rich ale.
One of the most popular brown ales in America
Idaho
Sockeye Brewing is one of the best Idaho-based breweries in Boise, offering high-quality beers that draw inspiration from local lifestyles and natural resources. The brewery has year-round and seasonal selections, ensuring drinkers can quench their first with classic flavors and something more unique.
Housing Idaho’s most awarded craft beer can give you peace of mind that you’ll find a beverage that suits you. Sockeye has an intriguing selection of ‘Catch & Release’ beer that sees brewers inject their creativity into rotating drinks, from espresso-enhanced flavors to lighter, beginner-friendly pale ales.
Nevada
Nevada’s oldest brewery is Great Basic Brewing Co, an award-winning craft brewery that strides to make the most of locally sourced, natural, and sustainably sourced ingredients. From traditional lagers to IPAs and experimental seasonal brews that incorporate intriguing ingredients, Great Basic Brewing Co provides an exciting selection of flavors that hone in on Nevada’s greatness.
Utah
Unita Brewing Company started three decades ago as a fifteen-barrel rig inside a converted mechanic’s garage and is now a modern production facility situated over five acres of land in Utah. This Salt Lake City-based brewery is dedicated to creating an inviting and exciting environment for its brewery, with sustainably produced craft beer that encapsulates Utah’s adventurous spirit.
California
With over 175 years of brewing history, Pabst Brewing Co is one of the most iconic breweries in America, located in California. Since 1844, the brewery has dominated the brewing industry, with classic beer brands such as Schlitz, Old Milwaukee, and Pabst Blue Ribbon under its wing.
Pabst is now much more than a brewery and provides hundreds of jobs and creative opportunities, proving that the brewing industry can catalyze community engagement and societal change.
4.5 million barrels
beer are produced annually
Oregon
Based in Bend, Deschutes Brewery is a highly regarded craft brewery committed to offering a safe community space ornamented with exceptional beers, high-quality ingredients, and sustainable procedures. With over 225,000 barrels of beer sold annually, Deschutes is a reckoning force in the beer industry and provides incredible products.
Washington
Georgetown Brewing Co is located in Washington’s largest city, Seattle, producing a range of beers that pack flavor and inject the Pacific Northwest into their notes. Georgetown is the largest independent brewery in Washington State, with over 70 employees and classic pale ale flavors that go down a treat.
The brewery has a full-time beer range that includes various types of Ale, such as Manny’s Pale Ale, which blends citrus fruits with rich malty ale and a snappy hop finish for the ultimate mouthful.
Georgetown is the largest
independent brewery in
Washington State
Alaska
Alaska is an exciting state home to natural beauty and a unique climate, and the Alaskan Brewing Co. combines all of these endearing qualities to create a diverse range of beers. In the brewery itself, there is a selection of over 20 flavors for visitors to try, from delicious IPAs to old traditional beers.
Hawaii
There’s no denying that Hawaii is an idyllic setting, providing a golden opportunity for breweries to tap into this escapism and create something that combines flavor with paradise. Kona Brewing Company does precisely that, embodying the spirit of Aloha through vibrant flavors and serene branding that blends tranquility with fun.
Conclusion
As our road trip of breweries around each state comes to an end, we’ve covered many incredible beers available to try out, with invigorating history attached to each can. Whether you’re a craft beer fanatic or are fancying a unique day trip while you visit a particular state, the breweries on our list provide great beverages, and many have tap room tours so you can get stuck into some mind-blowing facts regarding beer crafting.
Of course, a massive priority to many craft beer superfans is knowing how their favorite beverages are brewed, and each of the breweries that have made our list implements different degrees of sustainability and progressiveness in their processes. Whether using only sustainably sourced local produce or creating job opportunities and community engagement, our list proves that breweries provide much more than great-tasting drinks.
Who is the largest beer brewer in the US?
The largest beer brewer in the US is Anheuser-Busch InBev.
How many barrels of beer does the biggest brewery in the US produce annually?
As of 2021, the biggest brewery in the US is Anheuser-Busch InBev, and they produce approximately 125 million barrels of beer annually.
What is the oldest brewery in the US?
The oldest brewery in the US is Yuengling Brewery, which was founded in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
Who are the Big 3 beer companies in the US?
The Big 3 beer companies in the US are Anheuser-Busch InBev, MillerCoors, and Constellation Brands.
Where is most beer made in the US?
Most beer in the US is made in the state of California.
What is the most popular beer in the US?
The most popular beer in the US is Bud Light.
Which state has the most craft breweries?
As of 2021, the state with the most craft breweries in the United States is California. With its large population and vibrant craft beer culture, California has a thriving craft brewery scene, making it the top state for this industry.
What defines a craft brewery?
Craft breweries make small batches of beer using traditional methods and high-quality ingredients. They prioritize flavor, innovation, and creativity and have a strong connection to their local community. They are independent and committed to producing unique beers that reflect the brewer’s passion and expertise.