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2014 Was Another Great Year For American Craft Beer [Infographic]

This article is more than 8 years old.

The craft beer revolution isn't showing any signs of slowing down with 2014 proving another great year for brewers across the United States. According to the Brewers Association, there were approximately 1,521 operating craft breweries nationwide in 2008. By the end of 2014, there were 3,418. Of those, 1,412 were brewpubs, 1,871 were microbreweries and 135 were regional craft breweries.

The number of barrels produced has also skyrocketed from 9 million in 2008 to 22 million in 2014. Craft brewers now have an 11 percent share of the beer market - the first time small and independent brewers have obtained a double digit market share. They're aiming for 20 percent by 2020. The situation isn't just rosy at home - exports are also booming.

In 2004, American craft beer exports were worth just $2.9 million. Ten years on, small and independent  brewers are flourishing internationally. In 2014, over 383,000 barrels were exported, worth a whopping $99.7 million, a 35.7 percent increase on 2013. The craft beer industry is also providing steady employment. The Brewers Association estimated that 115,469 people were employed in small brewing jobs in 2014.

If there's one downside to the explosive growth of craft beer, it could well be a shortage of hops, one of its primary ingredients. The sheer pace of growth has caught both brewers and hop producers off guard with some small beer brands dropping production due to supply chain problems. Producers of aroma hops and craft brewers will have to adapt to keep up with the staggering demand, even though the shortage of ingredients may lead to further price increases in the future.

*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)