Small Breweries Report

Introduction to small brewer economic study

The "small" brewers in this country contribute significantly to the health and vitality of the U.S. brewing industry.
This group accounts for approximately 70,000 brewer and supplier jobs, approximately $750 million dollars in taxes at all levels, and more than $11 billion in total economic contribution. Approximately 1,600 brewers in this country compromise the universe occupies by "small" breweries (as defined below).

While the beer industry has not issued a universally accepted definition of a "small" brewery, in this study, Beer Institute has chosen to include the brewers producing up to approximately two million barrels. This definition (used by the brewers Association of America) includes several longtime regional brewers, and many newer craft brewers, micro brewers and brewpubs.

For the purposes of this study brewpub employees not involved in the brewing process (including servers, managers, kitchen employees and bartending staff) are considered supplier level employees. Adjustments for the lower wages and different productivity levels of these workers in comparison to brewery employees have been made in all areas of the model. Therefore direct comparisons between this study and other economic contribution studies done by the Beer Institute in the past should NOT be made.
Please contact the Beer Institute if you have any questions on this issue. (link to Beer Institute)

We would like to thank Steve L. Barsby and Associates for working with the Beer Institute to produce this excellent report.

Yuengling Fans would like to thank the Beer Institute.

Important facts about the small brewer segment of the U.S. beer industry
¢Small brewers and affiliated suppliers contributed $11.4 billion to the U.S. economy in 1997.

¢Small brewers and affiliated beer industry suppliers employed almost 200,000 people (including brewpub employees not involved in producing beer) in 1997; these employees received more than 4.7 billion in wages nationally that year.

¢Small brewers pay a substantial amount of taxes to government at all levels; as a whole, these brewers paid approximately $750 million in excise and other taxes in 1997.

national summary statistics for small brewers
economic snapshot

Jobs	70,200
Jobs	198,000
Wages	$1,181,200,000
Wages	$4,721,200,000
Economic Contribution	$3,005,900,000
Economic Contribution	$11,433,600,000
State and Local Taxes	$266,000,000
State and Local Taxes	$610,000,000
Federal Excise Taxes	$266,000,000
	¢Direct Impact
	¢Full Impact

1997/1998
SMALL BREWER DIRECT JOBS

Brewers	32,700
Wholesalers	5,100
Retailers	32,400

TOP 10 EMPLOYMENT AND
ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION STATES

		Jobs	Economic Contribution
1	Pennsylvania	10,300	$1,198,600,000
2	California	7,100	$1,199,300,000
3	New York	6,900	$1,202,800,000
4	Ohio	3,300	$676,100,000
5	Colorado	3,200	$270,700,000
6	Washington	3,000	$325,000,000
7	Oregon	2,700	$249,600,000
8	Texas	2,500	$520,800,000
9	Massachusetts	2,300	$266,100,000
10	Florida	2,200	$275,800,000

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