Large Breweries with National Distribution:

Anchor Brewing: This brewery can be found on the streets of San Francisco. Currently owned by Fritz Maytag of appliance fame, this brewery makes many fine beers and ales of distinction.

Anheuser- Busch: The largest brewery in the world, Anheuser- Busch is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. It is responsible for brewing Budwesier, the best selling beer on the planet.

Boston Beer: Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with regional bottling operations around the United States, Boston Beer is one of America’s pioneering craft- brewing operations. Manufacturer of the popular Sam Adams line of beer, its products are the best- known and most widely available in the craft- brewing segment.

Coors Brewing Company: This company operates the largest single brewery in the world at its headquarters in Golden, Colorado. Once a brewery whose products were distributed only in the West, Coors can now be found in all fifty states.

Miller Brewing: Second to Anheuser- Busch in terms of sales, Miller is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Once an independent company, Miller was owned by Philip Morris for many years before it was purchased by its present- day owners, South African Breweries, in 2002.  

Pabst Brewing: One of America’s oldest brewing operations, Pabst produces such household names as Schlitz, Old Style, Old Milwaukee, Colt 45, as well as its flagship product, Pabst Blue Ribbon. The corporate offices are in San Antonio, Texas.

Pete’s Brewing: This craft- brewing operation was started by entrepreneur and beer lover Pete Slosberg. Today, the company is still around but it is now owned by Gambrinus Brewing, which is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Rogue Brewing: Lovers of fine ale know the Rogue name all too well. This company brews more than twenty different ales and distributes its products to the majority of the states. Tours take place daily at the main brewery in Newport, Oregon.

Sierra Nevada: Another one of America’s best- known craft brewers, this company is headquartered in Chico, California and boasts one of the largest distribution bases of any craft- brewer in the United States. 

Smaller Breweries with Regional Presence:

Abita Brewing: Headquartered in Abita Springs, Louisiana, this brewery is known for the pure spring water it uses in the brewing process.

Anderson Valley Brewing: Located in Boonville, California, this regional brewing operation produces many award- winning products and has twice been chosen as one of the Top Ten Breweries of the Year at the World Beer Championships.

Brooklyn Brewing: Owned and operated by brewmaster Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewing Company offers tours on weekends and is located in the heart of Brooklyn, New York.

Flying Dog: This regional brewery can be found in downtown Denver, Colorado and is known for its colorful bottle labels and its canine- themed beer products.

Goose Island: Chicago, Illinois is the home for this brewing company. It offers two brewing locations: One in Lincoln Park and one located close to Wrigley Field.

Grant’s Brewing: This brewery is notable for its products, which emphasize hops, and for its pioneering spirit. Yakima, Washington is the home base for this brewery and its founder, Bert Grant, who is responsible for opening the world’s first brewpub.

Great Lakes Brewing: Cleveland, Ohio offers the setting for this craft brewing operation, which is one of the best in the Midwest. Tours are offered every Friday and Saturday.

Harpoon: Not as popular as that “other” Boston Brewery that makes Samuel Adams products but still noteworthy in its own right, Harpoon has brewing operations in Boston and in Windsor, Vermont.

Highland Brewing: Not as well known as some of the other breweries on this list, Highland is a class operation located in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Its products are presently available in only four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia.

Jacob Leinenkugel: Located in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, this brewery is a Wisconsin institution. It operates a second brewing in Milwaukee and is now fully owned by South African Breweries- the same company that owns Miller Brewing.

Kalamazoo Brewing: Known for its over-the-top products, Kalamazoo is to the beer connoisseur what Dom Perignon is to the lover of sparkling wine. This company brews products under the name “Bells” and is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Pyramid Brewing: This brewery is located in Seattle, Washington and its one of the few regional companies that is independent and whose stock is traded on an exchange. It can be counted on for great- tasting craft beer and it has won its share of awards.

Redhook: Seattle, Washington is the location of this brewery. Its products are slowly gaining in popularity, thanks to a sizable investment (and ownership fraction) by the Anheuser- Busch Company. It also has breweries in use at nearby Woodinville, Washington and in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Saranac: Matt Brewing Company in Utica, New York, is the actual brewing operation that bottles Saranac beer. This company’s products are sold throughout the eastern U.S, with distribution in 22 states.

Yuengling: Pottsville, Pennsylvania is the location for the main brewery and there is also a second location in Tampa, Florida. This company has the distinction of being the oldest brewery in America. It was founded in 1829 by David Yuengling and it continues to make fine beer to this day.

Empire State Brewing Festival- This beer and music fest takes place each year in early July in Syracuse, New York. Partygoers can sample from more than 200 beer products, along with local wines, as they grove to the tunes from the several live bands.

Great American Beer Festival- Held each year in Denver, Colorado, during the first weekend in October, this four- day festival is one of the most renown in the world. Besides having more than 1,000 different beers to try, the Great American Beer Festival is responsible for evaluating and rewarding Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals to American- made beer in dozens of categories. Brewers not only earn bragging rights, they also earn an award that can help tremendously in marketing their products.  

International Beer and Wine Tasting- This multi- facted event takes place in early June in the multi- cultural city of New Orleans, Louisiana. This event has been taking place every year now since the early 1980's. Plenty of beer and a large selection of wine keep thirsty travelers coming back for more.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati- This is the largest Octoberfest in the United States and the second largest in the world, rankning second to the Munich, Germany Octoberfest. Held in Cincinnati, Ohio in late September, this festival features beer, German food and culture, music, and other entertainment.

Old Dominion Beer Festival- Sponsored by the Old Dominion Brewing Company, this festival is held each year in late June in the city of Asburn, Virginia.

Orlando Beer Festival- This is a two- day event, held in November each year in Orlando, Florida. More than 150 beers are available for your enjoyment, along with food, live entertainment, and general merchandise for sale.

Vermont Brewer's Festival- The state of Vermont is known for its natural scenery and this beer festival highlights the great views as well as the great brews. Held on the shores of beautiful Lake Champlain in Burlington, this festival takes place in mid- July when the weather is pleasantly warm and the beer is nice and cold.

World Beer Festival- Durham, North Carolina is home to this annual event which bills itself as the largest beer festival in the Southern United States. It takes place each year in early Fall.