To celebrate American Craft Beer Week (12–18 May 2025), we’re raising a glass to the bold, boundary-pushing world of US craft brewing. From game-changing hops to style-defining trends, American brewers have left their mark on beer scenes across the globe.
Think you know your way around a pint? These five facts go beyond the basics - perfect for sharing, surprising, and showing off your beer knowledge.
American brewers reimagined traditional styles for new audiences
While styles like IPAs, sours, saisons, and imperial stouts have long-standing histories in Europe, they were relatively unfamiliar to many American drinkers before the craft beer movement. U.S. craft brewers embraced these traditional styles, adding innovative twists that resonated with contemporary palates and helped bring them into the mainstream American beer scene.
There are more breweries in the US than anywhere else in the world
Over 9,500 breweries are operating across the country - more than any other nation on Earth. Every state has at least one, and some (like California and Colorado) have hundreds.
The first American beer boom started in the 1800s - and collapsed
In the late 19th century, the US had over 4,000 breweries. But then came prohibition, consolidation, and the rise of mass-market lagers. The modern craft beer movement is a second wave - and it’s going strong.
The US craft beer revolution started with homebrewing
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a bill legalising homebrewing again - unlocking a wave of experimentation that helped shape the modern craft beer scene. Many of today’s most influential breweries started in home kitchens and garages.
Craft breweries transformed America’s drinking spaces
The rise of American craft beer didn’t just change what we drink - it changed where we drink it. From the 1990s onward, breweries started popping up in former factories, warehouses, strip malls and main street storefronts, breathing new life into local neighbourhoods.
Taprooms became community hubs - places to gather, support local business, and sample everything from pastry stouts to tropical IPAs. In many towns, the local brewery became as central as the coffee shop or diner.
Today, these spaces have become part of everyday life in many communities, showing how far American craft beer has come in shaping both local economies and modern drinking culture.
Want to learn more about beer?
WSET beer qualifications help you understand what’s in your glass - from ingredients and production to flavour, service and tasting. Whether you're just starting out or already know your stouts from your lagers, our expert-led courses will build your confidence and give you the tools to talk about beer with clarity.
Study beer this spring: discover courses in North America
Read: Rule-breaking American brewers and the rise of craft beer
Explore: The mystery of chocolate aromas in stout, explained
