The business
of beer
Small breweries are small businesses just like any other in the country, facing the same regulatory, infrastructure and employment challenges. Read on to find out more about the business side of small brewing, and what their impact on the American economy really is. You might be surprised.
Small brewers are unique in the more personal nature of the business and the unique history behind their brews. It is a sense of community that compels small brewers to higher standards, as even small changes in the clientele can have massive impacts on their ability to survive collectively as an industry, and individually as businesses. Part of the reason this caucus was formed is because - much like small businesses across the United States - it is harder for these businesses to be heard above the din created by larger competitors. Raising awareness in Congress by creating a way to study small breweries will help them sustain their businesses, increase efficiency, improve the quality of their products and offer consumers more choice.
What is a small brewery?
A small brewery produces less than 2 million barrels of beer per year. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition.
What portion of domestic beer production comes from small breweries?
The overall U.S. beer market is worth approximately $94 billion, producing about 210,078,000 barrels of beer a year. In contrast, small breweries produced 6,736,000 barrels of beer in 2006. Its annual dollar volume is $4.7 billion.
Is the small brewing industry a growing one?
Absolutely. In 2006, the overall beer market was up 2.1 percent. In the same year, dollar sales for small brewers increased by 17.8 percent, the strongest growth among all alcohol beverage categories. In the last three years, small brewery industry sales have increased by 31.5 percent.
This page is maintained by the office of Congressman Greg Walden.