Not since Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print and the Eiffel Tower began to rise over Paris have Americans had so many breweries from which to choose.
The total number of U.S. breweries as of June stood at 2,126, an increase of 350 breweries from June 2011 and the most since 1887, according to figures released Monday by the Boulder-based Brewers Association.
That growth includes a flood of new breweries that have opened this year in Colorado, from small-town watering holes to neighborhood tap rooms and startups with national aspirations. The BA also reported 1,252 breweries in planning, compared with 725 a year ago.
Brewers Association president Paul Gatza said in an e-mail that the group believes the high-water mark for total number of breweries in the U.S. was around 4,000, achieved in 1873.
Overall, craft brewing continued to experience strong sales growth in the first half of 2012, outpacing growth in overall U.S. beer sales, the BA said. The midyear data found a 14 percent increase in dollar sales and a 12 percent jump in volume in the first half of 2012 for small and independent U.S. brewers.
