Colorado in 2015 was still home to five of the nation’s 50 largest craft brewers, although it’s likely the last year for one local brewery on that list.
New Belgium, Oskar Blues, Odell Brewing, Left Hand Brewing and the were among the Top 50 U.S. craft brewing companies by beer sales volume, according to a , a Boulder-based trade association representing the craft beer industry.
Read the complete list:
Littleton-based , ranked No. 47, and three other craft breweries — No. 6 Lagunitas Brewing Co. of Petaluma, Calif.; No. 11 Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits of San Diego; and Four Peaks Brewing Co. of Tempe, Ariz. — were acquired or agreed to be acquired by larger alcohol beverage companies in 2015.
The Brewers Association prorated the sales volume for the craft breweries that are expected to exit the classification.
Colorado’s largest brewer, New Belgium Brewing Co., held its No. 4 ranking behind D.G. Yuengling and Son Inc., Boston Beer Co. and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
New Belgium, based in Fort Collins, also ranked eighth among the Top 50 U.S. brewing companies, a list led by Anheuser-Busch Inc. and MillerCoors.
New Belgium produced 914,063 barrels of beer in 2015 and a $140 million brewery in Asheville, N.C., which could have the capacity to brew up to 500,000 barrels annually.
Longmont-based Oskar Blues Brewing Holding Co., which has been on an and after receiving a financial infusion from Fireman Capital, shot up 10 places to No. 14. Oskar Blues was the 21st-largest brewer overall.
Rounding out the Colorado craft breweries were Fort Collins-based at No. 32, and Longmont-based at No. 39. Overall, Odell and Left Hand ranked No. 39 and No. 47, respectively.
Left Hand on Tuesday announced its brewery produced 82,849 barrels of beer last year, an increase of 11 percent from 2014. It’s the 10th consecutive year of double-digit sales volume growth for the brewery known for its .
The Brewers Association is expected to release the production numbers for the brewers in the May/June edition of its magazine New Brewer.
Alicia Wallace: 303-954-1939, awallace@denverpost.com or @aliciawallace
