After an explosion of growth in the craft beer industry, the market is undergoing a shift, causing beer lovers to stay alert to keep track of their favorites.
The last decade saw an explosion of craft breweries that operate on a smaller scale and offer a wider, and sometimes more experimental, selection of beer. In 2024, there were a total of 9,496 craft breweries in the U.S., a 104% increase from 2015.
However, that growth is tapering off. According to the Brewers Association, 2024 was the industry's worst year for brewpub, microbrewery, and taproom closings, with 519 drawing their last pint.
Changing consumer preferences may be contributing to this trend. While beer and cider still have the largest market share of alcoholic drinks, consumers are reducing their alcohol consumption. Gallup found that between 2023 and 2025, the percentage of people who consumed alcohol within the last 24 hours dropped eight percentage points to 28%, while the percentage who hadn't had an alcoholic drink in over a week increased eight percentage points to 40%.
Brewers are also facing another enemy: Climate change. Rising temperatures and drought have caused shifts in the growing season and decreased production in noble hops, an essential beer ingredient. Researchers predict that by 2050, climate change could cause an up to 18.4% decrease in hop yields.
Still, all is not doom and gloom. Although the craft beer industry is facing challenges, new brewpubs, microbreweries, and taprooms keep opening—428 opened in 2024—and brewers keep flexing their creative muscles to develop new beer flavors with the best ingredients they have.
Stacker compiled a list of the breweries with the most beers ranked in the top 100 in North Carolina using data from BeerAdvocate as of August 2025. Any ties were broken by the highest-ranking beer.
