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from Beer and Wine Hobby:

This appeared on Homebrew Finds last week.  Some of you had difficulty using the associated coupon code.  Because of that we're extending this sale! Coupon code: HBFMH 

This is an amazing price on one of the newest hop varietals on the market. It features relatively high alpha acids and low cohumulone contents and displays an array of enticing aromas that transfer nicely into the finished product. Brewers have noted that Mosaic is a "complexity of flavors" providing a "powerful combination punch of pine and fruit."

Mosaic Pellet Hops - $1.75/ou when you use promo code HBFMH 

Limit 3oz. Not valid with other promotional or shipping offers.

from Label Peelers:

Kolsch Ingredient Package
Beer Kit of the Week reg $31.03 now $22.34
Soon the trees will be budding and the flowers will be flowering and the memories of the cold winter months will be fading. Leave all those heavy winter brews in the past and make something you deserve to drink while sitting in the warm Spring sun. learn more...







 Green Apple Riesling Island Mist
Wine Kit of the Week reg $60.23 now $43.37 Crisp, crunchy green apple flavor with a pleasant initial tartness, followed by a delicious juicy finish.  A real thirst-quenching treat.
Riesling Is A White Grape Variety Which Originates In...read more








Five Most Common Mistakes When Making Wine From Fresh Grapes

1. Harvesting your grapes too early, or late: Great wine starts with great starting materials. Picking your grapes at the wrong time will greatly reduce the quality of your wine. Too early and that nasty green pepper taste never leaves; too late and you get a flabby 15% ABV wine with a high pH. Use analysis (TA, pH and Brix) but more importantly use your taste buds.
2. Inappropriately adjusting the Must: Acid, water, enzymes, nutrients, tannins, bentonite, sulfur dioxide. The list of things we can add to our freshly-crushed grapes is too long to list here. Don't be pulled into the adjustment game; only make adjustments when it is necessary. What you really want is to start with is the best grapes you can get your hands on that require the least amount of adjusting.
3. Underestimating oxygen and bad microbes: Once your wine has finished its primary fermentation it becomes more vulnerable to oxidation and bad microbes. During this honeymoon period the wine protects itself and little care and worry needs to be taken, but once the wine goes 'still' it is important to ward away the effects of oxygen and possible infection with proper techniques.
4. Underestimating the good power of oxygen and microbes: Yes, oxygen can ruin your wine and can also make your wine great. Your little yeast buddies need oxygen to have a fruitful fermentation. So, making sure you have enough oxygen in the 'must' before fermentation is as important as keeping the oxygen out after fermentation.
   
5.  Keeping proper records: You made the best wine of your career! Too bad you didn't keep proper records and will never be able to duplicate it. Keeping records is the only way you can adjust for agricultural variations from year to year, and also make corrections from last year's mistakes. Document, document, document, and did I mention documenting?

 Simcoe Pellet Hops 1 lb
reg $20.83 now $17.71
We just found a line on hundreds of pounds of Simcoe Hop Pellets in the 1 pound size from this year's Hop Union harvest! Grab them while they are available. You know these go fast!









Growing Hops Part 2
Harvesting
You will see your hop vines flower then start to form hop cones. These flowers will not be ready for harvest until late August or early September, depending on the weather. So, how do you know when it is time to harvest? Take an average sized cone and squeeze it between your fingers. A hop cone that is ready to harvest will return almost to its original shape. If the cone is wet, very green and stays flattened when crushed you still have some waiting to do. Other signs they are ready to harvest is an increased amount of yellow lupulin and an increase in aroma.

Harvesting Technique

For your next year's growth, it is best to harvest your hop cones without cutting the vine from the roots. Letting the vine dry attached to the root system gives the roots the ultimate amount of growth during this year's cycle and promotes more vigorous growth next year. Simply cut the twine down at the top and lay the hop vines on the ground, allowing you access to all of the cones. Leave the vines attached to the roots until they have dried.Harvest the hops by simply pull/pinching them off by hand.

Drying Home Grown HopsYou can use a food dehydrator to dry your hops, but we do not suggest doing so. Food dehydrators use heat and air movement to dry, exposing your hops to temperatures that can be over 170 degrees F! We just want to dry them not roast them, so we suggest using one of these methods.

• Box fan method: (also good for jerky) With a small amount of effort you can dry them with air movement only. Lay the fan down flat and place a furnace filter over the grate. Distribute hops on the filter making sure to leave some space between the hops. Place the second filter over the first and distribute more hops. Continue with this method until the last filter. Place the last filter, but do not put hops on it. Instead use bungee cords to strap the filters tight to the fan. Stand the fan up and turn the fan on, facing out the window, if you live with a significant other, or point it into your house if you live alone and love the aroma of hops :)
  • Equipment list
    
    • Box fan
    • 4 Furnace filters the same dimensions as fan
    • Bungee cords
• If that seems too complex for you, simply lay your hops on a large sheet and spreading them out to a single layer, repositioning them every 6-12 hours will do the job.

Knowing when to stop the drying process is important. If you over dry your hops they will lose some of their hoppy quality and workability. You don't want them so dry that they crumble at the slightest touch, and you also don't want to lose any of the precious Alpha Acids. Your best test to know when they are dry enough is to compare them with commercially dried hop cones.Once you are happy with your dry hops, place them in an air tight container or even vacuum seal them. Put them in the back of the freezer for storage.

You still have time to pre-order hop rhizomes, click here to see our hop rhizome selection.

Thanks to HBF Reader Mark for this tip!
Regularly $49.99, this 58,000 BTU propane burner is marked down to $39.97.  Shipping to your local Bass Pro Shops store is free.  A 10.5 quart kettle is also included.

Check it out here.

Also Consider This Top Find:
Camp Chef Maximum Output Single Burner Stove - $81.57 Shipped

More: Recent Finds, Propane Burners, Reader Tips, Great Deals

 

 

Boulevard Brewing Company scientists, Elizabeth and Nathan, share some tasting notes on Coffee Ale.

via YouTube | Boulevard.

April 1st marks the annual release of Blue Point’s Summer Ale throughout Blue Point’s fifteen states of distribution. Brewed for the summer days, the delicious golden taste of Summer Ale comes from a substantial portion of wheat malt added to a traditional barley malt mix which gives this delicious brew a unique tartness not found in many beers today. Blue Point is releasing Summer Ale cans in 12-packs for the first time this year.

via brewery email.

The Vittles Vault II, 40 lb Pet Food Storage container had been a long time member of our Top Finds list.  This storage bin had been selling for $24.99 but in recent weeks it's been selling for markedly more... up to $55 + Shipping.  Because of that it was removed from our Top Finds list and replaced with the stackable version.

It's available again today for $24.99 and ships free with a $25 order.  Add on any filler item and this ships for free.


These are designed to hold pet food, but they work great for grain storage.  The 40 lb rating is for pet food.  This should hold a full 50 lb sack of grain.  Clear sides to easily see how much grain you have left, made from FDA approved plastic and airtight.
Vittles Vault II 40-Pound Clear Base Cranite Top - $24.99 + Free Shipping with $25 order


More: Recent Finds, Amazon, Amazon Fillers, All Grain, Storage, Grain Storage, Great Deals


More from Amazon:
Hands On: Leatherman Wingman Multi Tool
Bizarre Brews 101: For the Adventurous Home Brewer, Kindle Edition - $7.69
Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz, Kindle Edition - $9
Great Deal: 5 Piece Plastic Beaker Set - $6.03
500 mL Polypropylene Lab Containers - $8.95 Shipped
Gerber 31-000750 Bear Grylls Compact Multi-Tool - $10 10 Gallon Commercial Quality Kettle - $36.38 Shipped
Hands On: Case of 12 Mini Growlers, 32 oz - $2.85/ea Shipped
Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans - Record Low Prices

Today is one of my favorite author’s birthdays, John Updike. He grew up in the same small Pennsylvania town that I did — Shillington — and we both escaped to a life of writing. Though I think you’ll agree he did rather better than I did with the writing thing, not that I’m complaining. I once wrote to him about a harebrained idea I had about writing updated Olinger stories from the perspective of the next generation (his Olinger Stories were a series of short tales set in Olinger, which was essentially his fictional name for Shillington). He wrote me back a nice note of encouragement on a hand-typed postcard that he signed, which today hangs in my office as a reminder and for inspiration. Anyway, this little gem he wrote for the The New Yorker in 1964 is a favorite of mine and I now post it each year in his honor. Enjoy.

Beer Can by John Updike

This seems to be an era of gratuitous inventions and negative improvements. Consider the beer can. It was beautiful — as beautiful as the clothespin, as inevitable as the wine bottle, as dignified and reassuring as the fire hydrant. A tranquil cylinder of delightfully resonant metal, it could be opened in an instant, requiring only the application of a handy gadget freely dispensed by every grocer. Who can forget the small, symmetrical thrill of those two triangular punctures, the dainty pfff, the little crest of suds that foamed eagerly in the exultation of release? Now we are given, instead, a top beetling with an ugly, shmoo-shaped tab, which, after fiercely resisting the tugging, bleeding fingers of the thirsty man, threatens his lips with a dangerous and hideous hole. However, we have discovered a way to thwart Progress, usually so unthwartable. Turn the beer can upside down and open the bottom. The bottom is still the way the top used to be. True, this operation gives the beer an unsettling jolt, and the sight of a consistently inverted beer can might make people edgy, not to say queasy. But the latter difficulty could be eliminated if manufacturers would design cans that looked the same whichever end was up, like playing cards. What we need is Progress with an escape hatch.

Now that’s writing. I especially like his allusion to the beauty of the clothespin as I am an unabashed lover of clothespins.

In case you’re not as old and curmudgeonly as me — and who is? — he’s talking about the transition to the pull-tab beer can (introduced between 1962-64) to replace the flat punch-top can that required you to punch two triangular holes in the top of the can in order to drink the beer and pour it in a glass.

The pull-tab (at left) replaced the punch top (right).

Originally known as the Zip Top, Rusty Cans has an informative and entertaining history of them. Now you know why a lot of bottle openers still have that triangle-shaped punch on one end.

So essentially, he’s lamenting the death of the old style beer can which most people considered a pain to open and downright impossible should you be without the necessary church key opener. He is correct, however, that the newfangled suckers were sharp and did cut fingers and lips on occasion, even snapping off without opening from time to time. But you still have to laugh at the unwillingness to embrace change (and possibly progress) even though he was only 32 at the time; hardly a normally curmudgeonly age.

#bbpBox_313716205255020546 a { text-decoration:none; color:#D0001E; }#bbpBox_313716205255020546 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; } @beerpulse BeerPulse Third Shift pint glass is our next #beer newsletter giveaway – sign up: http://t.co/WBZM1Bay18 pic: http://t.co/ExifJ54hhF about 5 hours agoReplyRetweetFavorite

When seeking more space at groceries, his team will often cite "basket ring" information showing that the average Sierra drinker buys more expensive products — like fine meats — than fans of other brands. At convenience stores the brand uses demographic data by ZIP code to only target locations that have plenty of its core consumers: men ages 22 to 44 with incomes of $75,000-plus.

More >> Advertising Age.

Press Release:

(Denver, CO) – Today at 5 PM at Wynkoop Brewing Company, we tap the first kegs of Ellegance, a special Belgian-style brown ale brewed for Colorado Craft Beer Week by a collection of women in the local craft beer scene.

This is the first all-female-brewed collaboration beer in Colorado, the tapping party runs from 5-7 PM upstairs at Wynkoop Brewing.

Ellegance is a delicious Belgian-style brown ale brewed with Simpson’s Golden Promise malt, specialty malts and a blend of hops including Nelson Sauvin, Motueka and Eldorado. All fermented with a Belgian yeast.

Elegant and highly quaffable, the 5% ABV beer features a creamy beige head, a glorious tea/garnet color, aromas of fruit and hops, flavors of toast and light caramel, hints of spice and a refreshing, lingering hop bite on its finale.

The project was headed up by our own Bess Dougherty, the group of Ellegance beer makers includes Natalie Lesko of Funkwerks, Sydney Skilken of Denver’s TRVE Brewing, Linsey Cornish of Odell Brewing, Reva Golden from Twisted Pine, Ashleigh Carter of Prost Brewing and Melissa Antone and Sara Ferber from Avery Brewing.

These trailblazing beery women will be on hand for the tapping, along with guests beers from their respective breweries.

The Denver branch of Brewers Supply Group donated the base malt for this one-time-only, super-limited-release beer. Wynkoop is donating a portion of Ellegance sales from tonight’s tapping event to the Colorado Brewers Guild.

The beer will also be on tap during Colorado Beer Week at a short list of the area’s best beer bars.

Learn about other events during Colorado Craft Beer Week at www.cobeerweek.com .

Learn about the growing ranks of women in craft beer at http://pinkbootssociety.org.

(Boston, MA) – Based on public data, it looks like the new Samuel Adams Beers of Summer pack started hitting shelves in some markets as early as the weekend of March 9th.

The Boston Beer Company has been a central target of criticism from those against “seasonal creep” in which seasonals are first released a few months before their respective seasons are officially recognized on the calendar. Samuel Adams seasonal brands have traditionally been among the earliest to hit the market.

In any event, this year’s summer pack features: Summer Ale, Boston Lager, Porch Rocker (radler), Belgian Session, Little White Rye (all-new) and Blueberry Hill Lager (all-new).

Porch Rocker six-packs will arrive in late April/early May, per the brewery.

The forecast for Boston, where the company is headquartered, calls for snow accumulation of 1-3 inches between Monday night and Tuesday.

The earliest known summer offering that BeerPulse is aware of is Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy which rolled out in mid-February.

(San Francisco, CA) – Last weekend, Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery founder, Dave McLean went onto The Brewing Network’s Sunday Session for the first time in seven years.

Magnolia has been around for more than fifteen years though McLean is now expanding operations from just a small brewpub to a full production facility in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco.

Magnolia is working with Michigan-based Craftwerk (formerly Newland) for the new brewhouse, set to arrive in about a month (30-40 days from when the episode aired on 3/10). The brewpub has been at 1,000-barrel capacity for years though the new brewery will give them an additional 5,000 barrels to work with (at first) per the Dogpatch Howler. The facility is expandable in the future should they ever need more than 10k square feet.

The 30-barrel brewhouse will be a two-vessel system (mash tun and brew kettle) expandable to four vessels (add lauter tun and whirlpool).

Magnolia will start with kegs and packaging will probably come a year out from opening.

Of the 10k square feet, 2,500 dedicated to a BBQ-focused restaurant.

(Fort Collins, CO) – Oskar Blues brewmaster, Dave Chichura, recently appeared on the Under My Host podcast.

He covered a lot of general ground on the brewery’s different beers but also offered up a couple interesting tidbits. Most noteworthy is the possibility that Oskar Blues will add a Alumi-Tek line. The comment came after a discussion on the company’s B. Stiff & Sons Root Beer though OB has released two beers in the format, Chaka and The Deuce. OB also still plans to do its own line of spirits in that package so a high-speed line would serve multiple purposes.

Chichura had no other updates on the spirits line.

Rumored collaborations like Three Floyds and Two Brothers haven’t come to fruition yet due to timing and schedules though Chichura mentioned another possible Chicagoland collab partner in Solemn Oath. It is clear that they want to work with a brewery in that area. Chichura also re-iterated a previous report that they have talked to a couple breweries in Alabama about doing brew together.

One collaboration has come together. Oskar Blues reported on Monday morning that it is brewing an imperial brown ale with Asheville Brewing down in Brevard. The Brevard facility is also packaging 19.2-ounce cans of Mama’ Little Yella Pils for the first time on Monday.

#bbpBox_313683376022364160 a { text-decoration:none; color:#D0001E; }#bbpBox_313683376022364160 a:hover { text-decoration:underline; } @beerpulse BeerPulse Sam Calagione of @DogfishBeer & @GarrettOliver of The @BrooklynBrewery have once again been named @BeardFoundation award finalists. about 7 hours agoReplyRetweetFavorite

Availability of this very popular kit is often touch and go.  I noticed that it's back in stock today. Vinnie's "Pliny the Elder" Double IPA - Extract Beer Kit KIT774 - $49.95 + Free Shipping with $59 Order

Russian River's "Pliny the Elder" Double IPA - All Grain Beer Kit (Advanced) KIT776M KIT776U - $45.95 + Free Shipping with $59 Order

More: Recent Finds, More Beer, More Beer Fillers, Kits, Recipes, IPA


More from More Beer:
Keg and Carboy Cleaner - $79 Shipped
8.5 Gallon Stainless Kettle, 2 Ports - $89.99 Shipped
Mosaic and Calypso Hops Back in Stock New Single Hop Ingredient Kits Johnson Analog Temp Controller - $52.95 All More Beer Current Sale and Clearance Items

Reviews: Stainless QDs - Plate Filter - Inline Thermometer - Mash Tun Conversion - Kent System QDs - March Pump - Kent Soda Bottle Cap

Today is the 45th birthday of Jason Chavez, who’s the brewmaster at Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz. Chavez started homebrewing while still in high school on his family’s kitchen stove. He’s a graduate of the American Brewers Guild, and has been brewing at Seabright since 1999. I believe I first met Jason many years ago at the Rock Bottom in Denver during a GABF week, but run into occasionally at events. Seabright is celebrating their 25th anniversary later this year and I’m planning on spending the day at the brewery to do a story on their silver anniversary. Join me in wishing Jason a very happy birthday.

Here’s a great shot by Dan Coyro, from an article in Santa Cruz Sentinnel.

Jason, in the center, surrounded by Seabright folks at the 10th annual Stumptown Russian River Revival and BBQ Cook-Off.

Jason, again in the center, at GABF (Note: last two photos purloined from Seabright’s website).

Press Release:

(Houston, TX) – Craft beer enthusiasts throughout Texas and Louisiana are expected to pay close attention to Twitter and Facebook today as Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, releases Divine Reserve No. 13. Starting today, Divine Reserve No. 13 will be available in 6-packs of 12-ounce bottles as well as in 22-ounce bottles and on tap in Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and other select markets in Texas and Louisiana.

Introduced in October 2005, Saint Arnold Divine Reserve is a series of single batch beers, each brewed with a different recipe. The batches are identified by the number on the neck label. The common thread is all Divine Reserves tend to be big beers and No. 13 is no exception.

“This is the first time we have brewed a Belgian Quad, using Brewer Stephen Rawlings’ recipe and we are very proud of the result,” said Brock Wagner, Founder/Brewer of Saint Arnold Brewing. “The brewers used Munich, CaraVienne and Chocolate malt to make Divine Reserve No. 13 a full bodied beer with a rich malty palate.”

Belgian Quadrupel, also known as Belgian Dark Strong Ale, is a style inspired by the Trappist brewers of Belgium. As is tradition for the style, Saint Arnold’s brewers added Extra Dark Belgian Candi Syrup, which darkened the color and imparted dark fruit-like flavors. Golding hops were used primarily to balance the sweetness. Saint Arnold Divine Reserve No. 13 has original gravity of 1.1 degrees Plato, final gravity of 1.0195 and 11 percent alcohol by volume. It is best enjoyed at 50 to 55 degrees.

The craft beer community helps each other to locate where Divine Reserve is available. Saint Arnold encourages those seeking the beer to track #DR13 on Twitter and to check the comments on the brewery’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/saintarnold. On Twitter, follow @saintarnold and #DR13.

More information on the Saint Arnold Divine Reserve series is available at

http://saintarnold.com/beers/divine.html.

About Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold Brewing’s 16 brews are made and sold by the company’s staff of 47 dedicated employees. Ranked 43rd on the Brewers Association list of top craft breweries, Saint Arnold was listed by USA Today as one of the “10 great places to see what’s brewing in beer,” and Smart Meetings magazine named it among the “Top 5 breweries to host an event.” Saint Arnold is located at 2000 Lyons Avenue and its brewery tour and tasting is offered every weekday at 3:00 P.M. and Saturdays starting at 11 A.M. For more information on Saint Arnold’s five year-round and five seasonal beers as well as root beer, log on to www.saintarnold.com.

Press Release:

(Newburyport, MA) – The Newburyport Brewing Company (TM), Massachusetts’ only all-can and keg craft brewery, announced today that statewide distribution of its three initial beer styles — Plum Island Belgian White, Newburyport Pale Ale, and Green Head IPA — will be distributed by Massachusetts Beverage Alliance beginning in March 2013. The Alliance’s network consists of five wholesale partners covering the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts — Atlas Distributing Inc., Burke Distributing, Colonial Wholesale Beverage, Commercial Distributing Company and Merrimack Valley Distributing Company.

“The Massachusetts Beverage Alliance is pumped to be partnering with the great folks at the Newburyport Brewing Company,” says Brian Murphy, director of sales and marketing at Massachusetts Beverage Alliance. “Being the first Massachusetts can and keg microbrewery is a very attractive attribute to any distributor. With a brick-and-mortar brewery and plenty of capacity and square footage to scale operations to meet long-term demand on top of that, Newburyport Brewing is an ideal addition to our portfolio. However, Bill and Chris’s passion, dedication to product quality and consistency, and business acumen make us truly believe that we have a tremendous opportunity to do something special here.”

“Our partnership with the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance allows us to deliver the freshest, highest-quality beer products to bars, restaurants, retailers, and ultimately, our consumers,” says Bill Fisher, co-founder and chief operations officer. “We chose the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance for their dedication to craft brewers, excellent customer service, and long track record of distribution success.”

As Newburyport Brewing continues to ramp up production to build inventory, the Company will initially offer its three products on tap — Newburyport Pale Ale, Green Head IPA, and Plum Island Belgian White — in half-barrel and sixth-barrel kegs at bars and restaurants in Essex County and greater Boston. Sales of 12-ounce cans will begin in early April and the Company will expand availability of its products statewide thereafter.

“We are dedicated to quality and consistency for all of our craft beer products,” explains Chris Webb, co-founder and chief executive officer. “To ensure that our beers reach consumers at the peak of freshness, we are working closely with our team of distributors to enforce an enjoy-by date that will be included on all cans. Cans are inherently better equipped to protect beer from light and oxygen degradation and preserve each beer’s taste and aroma.”

About the Newburyport Brewing Company The Newburyport Brewing Company is a privately held craft brewery dedicated to brewing the highest quality craft beer products for local and regional consumers. Founded in 2012, the Company is Massachusetts’ only exclusive keg and can craft brewery. Co-founded by two local Newburyport entrepreneurs, musicians, and home brewers — Chris Webb and Bill Fisher — the company aims to capture the essence of Newburyport’s quaint seaside character across a line of great tasting handcrafted ales. Newburyport Brewing Company uses premium quality natural ingredients in three products: Newburyport Pale Ale(TM), Plum Island Belgian White(TM), and Green Head IPA(TM). Visit us on the Web at http://www.nbptbrewing.com, on Facebook at /NewburyportBrewingCo or follow us @NBPTbrewing.

About the Massachusetts Beverage Alliance The Massachusetts Beverage Alliance LLC is a network of like-minded beer distributors who share the mission of providing, promoting, and building quality craft and specialty import beer throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Alliance’s network consists of five wholesale partners — Atlas Distributing Inc., Burke Distributing, Colonial Wholesale Beverage, Commercial Distributing Company and Merrimack Valley Distributing Company. Together with our brewer partners, we are committed to bringing the freshest and best tasting beer to consumers and retail partners in our respective markets. On the Web at: www.massbevalliance.com.

Today’s infographic is a timely one, and was released just this morning. The Brewers Association today released the preliminary numbers for beer sales last year. Not surprisingly, the 2012 numbers look great, and continue the trend in recent years of forward momentum for craft beer. The big news is simple. “In a year when the total U.S. beer market grew by one percent, craft brewers saw a 15 percent rise in volume and a 17 percent increase in dollar growth.”

But here’s a bit more, from the press release:

With production at 13,235,917 barrels in 2012, craft brewers reached 6.5 percent volume of the total U.S. beer market, up from 5.7 percent the previous year. Additionally, craft dollar share of the total U.S. beer market reached 10.2 percent in 2012, as retail dollar value from craft brewers was estimated at $10.2 billion, up from $8.7 billion in 2011.

Also, the number of breweries continues to rise at an amazing pace. The surprising thing to notice is that the growth is almost entirely in production breweries, which increased 44%!

In 2012, there was an 18 percent increase in the number of U.S. operating breweries, with the total count reaching 2,403. The count includes 409 new brewery openings and only 43 closings. Small breweries created an estimated 4,857 more jobs during the year, employing 108,440 workers, compared to 103,583 the year prior.

And here’s all of that good news, distilled into a colorful infographic.

Press Release:

(Boulder, CO) – The Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing small and independent American brewers, today released 2012 data on U.S. craft brewing¹ growth. In a year when the total U.S. beer market grew by one percent, craft brewers saw a 15 percent rise in volume² and a 17 percent increase in dollar growth, representing a total barrel increase of almost 1.8 million.

With production at 13,235,917 barrels in 2012, craft brewers reached 6.5 percent volume of the total U.S. beer market, up from 5.7 percent the previous year. Additionally, craft dollar share of the total U.S. beer market reached 10.2 percent in 2012, as retail dollar value from craft brewers was estimated at $10.2 billion, up from $8.7 billion in 2011.

“Beer is a $99 billion industry to which craft brewers are making a significant contribution, with retail sales share hitting double digits for the first time in 2012,” said Paul Gatza, director, Brewers Association. “Small and independent brewers are consistently innovating and producing high quality, flavor-forward craft brewed beer. Americans are not only responding to greater access to these products, but also to the stories and people behind them.”

In 2012, there was an 18 percent increase in the number of U.S. operating breweries, with the total count reaching 2,403. The count includes 409 new brewery openings and only 43 closings. Small breweries created an estimated 4,857 more jobs during the year, employing 108,440 workers, compared to 103,583 the year prior.

“On average, we are seeing slightly more than one craft brewery per day opening somewhere in the U.S., and we anticipate even more in the coming year. There is clearly a thirst in the marketplace for craft brewed beer, as indicated by the continued growth year after year,” added Gatza. “These small breweries are doing great things for their local communities, the greater community of craft brewers, our food arts culture and the overall economy.”

Note: Numbers are preliminary. A more extensive analysis will be released during the Craft Brewers Conference in Washington, D.C. from March 26-29. The full 2012 industry analysis will be published in the May/June 2013 issue of The New Brewer, highlighting regional trends and sales by individual breweries.

¹The definition of a craft brewer as stated by the Brewers Association: An American craft brewer is small, independent, and traditional. Small: Annual production of beer less than 6 million barrels. 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. Independent: Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer.

Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50 percent of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor.

² Volume by craft brewers represent total taxable production.