94% of world's breweries are craft producers

The craft beer revolution is taking hold across the globe, with consumer demand and a growing passion for craft brewing meaning you can now get an IPA in India or Iceland, a Saison from Belgium or Brazil, and an APA from the US or Ukraine.

According to a survey released by Alltech and The Brewers Journal, the number of breweries worldwide exceeds 19,000, and 94% can be defined as craft beer producers. For the purpose of the survey, a craft brewery is defined as having fewer than 30 staff or producing less than 5,000 hL/year, or more than 50% of the brewery being privately owned.

The global surge in the number of breweries opening has seen a drastic change in the fonts and fridges in pubs and bars on every continent, as the thrill of innovation, experimentation and community engagement creates a new market for brewers and retailers.

The US remains the largest craft beer producer, with 4750 craft breweries out of a total of 5025 breweries. However, the UK has the most craft breweries per capita, with 25 breweries/million people, compared with 15 in the US and 16 in Germany.

“The US and the UK fermented their lead in craft beer production as a result of legislation that paved the way for craft brewers,” said Tim Sheahan, editor of The Brewers Journal. “In the US, the pivotal point was in 1978, when President Jimmy Carter allowed home brewing for the first time since Prohibition. The UK’s watershed moment came in 2002 with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s progressive beer duty legislation, which reduced beer duty to nil for breweries producing less than 5000 hL.”

Although the US is recognised as the originator of the recent craft beer movement and has heavily influenced the modern take on traditional styles, there are more craft breweries in Europe than North America. The top 10 craft beer-producing countries are the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia.

The global momentum behind the craft beer craze has led Alltech, an international company with a brewing and distilling division, to create opportunities for craft brewers to network and showcase their creations.

Alltech hosts beer festivals around the globe, the largest of which is the Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fair in Dublin, Ireland. Now in its fifth year, the event features 38 breweries from five countries and attracts more than 7000 attendees. The event has since been replicated in other locations, including Kentucky, Canada, Brazil and China. The next Alltech Craft Brews & Food Fest will be held in Lexington, Kentucky, on 20 May.