Only 19 Pre-Prohibition Breweries Left

[Straub]

The list of the top 50 brewers (by volume) in America was recently published on beertown.org. If I can count correctly only 19 pre-Prohibition breweries still exist. Considering there were tens of thousands of breweries in America in the years leading up to Prohibition this is a frightening statistic. Maybe its just me.


The top 7 brewers are all pre-Prohibition as Boston Beer Co. is the largest Post-prohibition brewery. The smallest pre-Prohibition brewery is the Joseph Huber Brewing Co. which is unfortunarely on its way out of business as it has lost about 80% of its volume compared to five years ago. Below are the dates of opening of the breweries to the best of my knowledge. The breweries with asteriks are pre-Prohibition.

Opened Name
01 -1852 Anheuser Busch Inc.*
02 -1855 Miller Brewing Co.*
03 -1873 Coors Brewing Co.*
04 -1844 Pabst Brewing Co.*
05 -1858 City Brewing Co.*
06 -1829 D.G. Yuengling & Sons Inc.*
07 -1878 High Falls Brewing Co.*
08 -1984 Boston Beer Co.
09 -1893 Latrobe Brewing Co.*
10 -1979 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
11 -1861 Pittsburgh Brewing Co.*
12 -1867 Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co.*
13 -1991 New Belgium Brewing Co.
14 -1909 Spoetzl Brewery*
15 -1888 F.X. Matt Brewing Co.*
16 -1981 Redhook Ale Brewery
17 -1905 The Lion Brewery Inc.*
18 -1984 Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
19 -1984 Pyramid Alehouse/Breweries Inc.
20 -1988 Deschutes Brewery
21 -1986 Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Co.
22 -1989 Boulevard Brewing Co.
23 -1986 Harpoon Brewery
24 -1896 Anchor Brewing Co.*
25 -1987 Full Sail Brewing Co.
26 -1983 Mendocino Brewing Co.
27 -1857 Gluek Brewing Co.*
28 -1860 August Schell Brewing Co.*
29 -1987 Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.
30 -1997 Carolina Beer and Beverage Co.
31 -1986 Summit Brewing Co.
32 -1994 Shipyard Brewing Co.
33 -1988 Goose Island Beer Co.
34 -1857 Stevens Point Brewery Co.*
35 -1983 Kalamazoo Brewing Co.
36 -1994 Magic Hat Brewing Co.
37 -1989 Long Trail Brewing Co.
38 -1986 Abita Brewing Co.
39 -1984 Brooklyn Brewery
40 -1975 Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc.
41 -1984 Bridgeport Brewing Co.
42 -1986 Pete's Brewing Co.
43 -1995 Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
44 -1988 Rogue Ales
45 -1872 Straub Brewery Inc.*
46 -1996 Stone Brewing Co.
47 -1845 Joseph Huber Brewing Co.*
48 -1994 Kona Brewery LLC
49 -1990 Flying Dog Brewery
50 -1991 Otter Creek Brewing Co.

[tarmadilo]

I agree that it's a sin that, between Prohibition and then the postwar advertising blitz for national brands, we managed to almost erase our brewing culture here in the USA.

Heck, 1965-1985 was probably as bad a time to be a local or regional brewer as ever was (and I know I don't have to tell YOU that, Chris!).

Since then, the microbrew revolution has made it somewhat more likely for at least a few folks to actually drink something other than what their TV tells them "tastes great". D.G.Yuengling's success over the last decade shows that a pre-Prohibition regional brewery (in this case, the oldest brewing company in the USA) CAN regain some market share with a flavorful beer and motivated distributors.

Cheers, Tim

[Fred Sanford]

I think that # should be 18 as Pabst contracts out all production to Miller and City Brewery -- They don't run any actual Breweries.

Huber is doing well enough to have installed a new can line in the past few years. Don't believe everything you read related to "posted production" figures--lot's of liquid heads to Canada and other areas outside of the US.

[Straub]

Looking at this list is there any brewer below #11 who is not focusing their business on the "craft/specialty" segment other than my own family's brewery, Straub Brewery. Straub only brews two beers, Straub and Straub Light. Both of which are not craft beers and sell in the same price range as Bud, Miller, Coors, Rolling Rock etc... After looking into the other brewers I saw after Pittsburgh most of them were focused on beers in the craft market selling for over $1/bottle. Basically I don't see a single brewery on this list that isn't selling at least a handful of craft beers.

There is something to be said about the power of craft beer in this country. Basically only about a dozen breweries in the country aren't based upon the craft market. Even though craft only controls a single digit percent of the market, as far as companies devoted to mainstream beer they are outnumbered at least 20:1.

[jipjanneke]

What is meant by 'top' - does this refer to some rating system, or volume produced, or something else???

Alternatively, could you please provide the beertown.org link?

Sorry, no professional opinion on the status of the pre-prohibition survival rate...all I know is that in Australia at least, we are going through the growth revolution that the US went through ages ago. So, we are starting to import used breweries from breweries that are shutting down in the US ... wierd, huh? When we go through our inevitable (?) downturn, perhaps we can sell them all back to you again?

[pennbrew2]

You forgot one, Dixie Brewing Co., New Orleans, Louisiana

[Straub]

I just copied the list from beertown.org... I'm sure they missed one or two others also...

[nobody]

Originally posted by tarmadilo
I agree that it's a sin that, between Prohibition and then the postwar advertising blitz for national brands, we managed to almost erase our brewing culture here in the USA.

Heck, 1965-1985 was probably as bad a time to be a local or regional brewer as ever was (and I know I don't have to tell YOU that, Chris!).

Since then, the microbrew revolution has made it somewhat more likely for at least a few folks to actually drink something other than what their TV tells them "tastes great". D.G.Yuengling's success over the last decade shows that a pre-Prohibition regional brewery (in this case, the oldest brewing company in the USA) CAN regain some market share with a flavorful beer and motivated distributors.

Cheers, Tim

[nobody]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't Yuengling been bought out by Miller, undisclosed to the general public?

[steveg]

I think Yuengling continues to be family owned. Are you thinking of maybe Olympia, or Blitz-Weinhard?

[Straub]

If that were true that would be the biggest news break in the brewing industy. I am almost positive Yuengling is still owned by Dick Yuengling Jr. who will soon pass it onto his four daughters. I'd like to hear why you think that though.

Also that story would leak so fast... its hard to believe they could keep that a secret...

[admin]

Yuengling is still family owned. They have not been bought.

Cheers,

Admin