This will surprise some of you, I suspect. Pennsylvania was second only to California in the production of craft beer in 2011 according to final Brewers Association statistics. The Commonwealth turned out 1,547,000 barrels to trail California’s 2,020,246 barrels. Colorado (1.185, 000) Ohio, (973,804) and Oregon (659,598) completed the top five producers.
Also of interest: there were nearly 200 more breweries operating in the U.S. as of June 30, 2012 as there were at the end of last year. And there are something like 1200 additional breweries which are in various stages of becoming reality, from planning to almost-ready.
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How much of this depends on PA archaic booze laws? You know the ones Bryson complains about. Selling cases not sixes, 3 levels of distribution, limited licenses and the brewpub law itself.
Basically I am asking is our #2 ranking because of Pa awesome brewers, the great beer drinkers or our laws which make it beneficial for brew pubs.
Thanks.
Now back to my Merry Monks.
I suspect in about two years North Carolina will surpass PA and threaten CA.
Kevin, I really don’t see how the liquor laws, archaic as they are, have much, if anything, to do with this. Perhaps someone else will jump in and support your broad argument and convince me that the three-tier system, limited licenses and the brewpub climate in Pennsylvania all contribute to making and selling more beer overall.
Richard, you are on target, I think. I believe that the Sam Adams beer brewed at the Breinigsville brewery is a significant contributor the total. It will be more like five years before North Carolina’s new residents (Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Oscar Blues) are all up and running full scale but when they are, the output should be impressive. Then again, who knows what other major breweries might arrive in Pennsylvania by then? Or how much beer Victory, Troegs et al will be turning out and selling by then?
I can’t seem to find a breakdown of the stats by state, I’m assuming they are a part of the New Brewer mag?
Boston Beer was brought into the craft brewer realm in Jan of last year. I’m curious what the stats looked like for 2010 and if they grew in line with the addition of Boston Beer numbers.
The stats are in a “members only” section of the Brewers Association site at present. I assume the mid-summer release of the craft beer data is forthcoming. Boston Beer has always been part of the “craft brewing realm.” The rules (size of breweries included) were changed to keep them in, not bring them in.
I guess you have to be a paying member for them to come up or I didn’t find the right decoder ring.
I was curious if Boston Beer has always counted for the overall state stats, I guess they have. So where was PA last year in terms of barrel production? Also what was the change in barrel production for Boston Beer from 2011 to 2010? The reason I ask is because hasn’t the general consensus been that the numbers for Boston Beer have been reported low over the years? (perhaps to keep the craft brewer moniker?)
It ain’t fair. Cali is #3 in land mass at 163,695 sq miles and PA is #33 at 46,056 sq miles.
In my book…..We are #1!!!
Dude’s rule!