Two Minnesota craft brewers are among top 50 for sales nationwide

Two Minnesota brewing companies cracked the top 50 in sales of craft brews, according to a report from a national brewers association.

New Ulm-based August Schell Brewing Co. came in at 27. St. Paul-based Summit Brewing Co. was No. 29.

The Boulder, Colo.-based, national Brewers Association, which bills itself as a "passionate voice for craft brewers," released the rankings Tuesday. The listings ranked both craft brewers and overall rankings.

The lists didn't include supporting data for sales volumes so it's not possible to tell the difference among the brewers.

The association also didn't assess the flavor of the beers so the rankings reflect only popularity, not quality.

The not-for-profit trade group, which represents small and independent craft brewers, noted that of the top 50 overall brewers, 43 were craft companies.

The top brewers overall were the big names: St. Louis-based Anheuser Busch, Chicago-based MillerCoors and Los Angeles-based Pabst Brewing Co.

Wisconsin had three companies in the top 50. Minhas Craft Brewery of Monroe was ninth among craft brewers. New Glarus Brewing Company was 20th, and Stevens Point Brewery Company was 25th.

The association defined craft brewers as "small, independent and traditional" with annual production of 6 million barrels or less.

No more than 25 percent of the craft brewery can be owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member that isn't a craft brewer.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747

Twitter: @rochelleolson