3 Colorado breweries among Brewers Association’s top 50 in US
DENVER (KDVR) — The Brewers Association, which represents small and independent craft brewers across the country, released its annual list of the top 50 producing craft brewing companies across the U.S. this week featuring three in Colorado.
Colorado has proved itself to be one of the best places for beer lovers, with USA Today naming Fort Collins as one of the best beer cities in the U.S. as well as deeming a brewpub in Telluride as the best in the country.
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The Brewers Association ranked the brewing companies based on the beer volume produced or sold in the U.S. in 2023.
While many states had none, California led the way with more than 10 in the state, followed by Oregon with six. Colorado was one of the few states with three or more of the top 50 breweries across the nation in 2023.
Breckenridge Brewery
The highest on the list that exists in Colorado is Tilray Beer Brands, which was ranked at No. 6 of the top 50 craft brewing companies in the U.S.
Tilray, a Canadian “cannabis-lifestyle brand,” purchased Breckenridge Brewery late last summer along with seven other beer brands.
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The brewery, founded in Breckenridge in 1990, now has its main location in Littleton on a 12-acre piece of land off South Santa Fe Drive. The brewery continues to run in Breckenridge and also has locations at Ball Arena, Denver International Airport and a food truck that travels across the Denver metro area.
Oskar Blues Brewery
Headquartered in Longmont, CANarchy Craft Brewing Company was recently rebranded as Monster Brewing Co. as a nod to parent company Monster Beverage Corp., which purchased the alcoholic beverage company in 2022.
The local Monster Brewing location is Oskar Blues Brewery, with a brewery and taproom located at 1640 S. Sunset St. in Longmont. It is famous for its Dale’s Pale Ale, which is currently on tap at the Longmont taproom.
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Monster Brewing was ranked at No. 9 of the top 50 craft brewing companies in the U.S.
Odell Brewing Company
Among the Brewers Association’s top 50 craft brewing companies in the U.S. is Colorado’s very own Odell Brewing Company, ranked at No. 25.
Odell Brewing Co. has been owned and operated by its employees since it was founded in 1989, according to the website. The Odell family made its employee ownership official in 2015 when they sold most of the company to their co-workers in a combined management buyout and an Employee Stock Ownership Program.
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One of the first beers Odell released was the 90 Shilling, which remains the brewery’s top seller today, according to the website.
The main brew house and tap room is in Fort Collins, located at 800 E. Lincoln Ave., just a few blocks away from the 1915 grain elevator where the original brewery was located. There is also a location in the Five Points neighborhood of Denver near the corner of 30th and Larimer Streets, as well as a taproom and pizza kitchen near Sloan’s Lake at the corner of 17th Avenue and Perry Street.
Several Colorado breweries among top 50 overall
The Brewers Association also compiled a list of the top 50 overall brewing companies as of Wednesday, featuring several that are in Colorado.
These brewing companies ranked among the top 50 overall listed locations in Colorado:
Molson Coors – No. 2 overall
Kirin-Lion – No. 9 overall
Mahou San Miguel – No. 15 overall
Tilray Beer Brands – No. 16 overall
Monster Brewing – No. 19 overall
Odell Brewing Company – No. 35 overall
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No. 2 overall Molson Coors includes A.C. Golden, Atwater, Batch 19, Blue Moon, Colorado Native, Coors, Hamms, Hop Valley, Icehouse, Keystone, Killian’s, Leinenkugel’s, Mickey’s, Milwaukee’s Best, Miller, Olde English, Revolver, Steel Reserve, Tenth & Blake, and Terrapin brands, and more. Molson Coors is headquartered in Chicago.
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