Craft beer was a $2 billion industry in Pennsylvania last year, ranking it No. 4 nationally, a trade group said.
The Keystone State ranks only behind three more populous states — California ($4.7 billion), Texas ($2.3 billion) and New York ($2.2 billion) — but ahead of Colorado ($1.6 billion), where the craft brewing industry has a major foothold, according to the Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association.
Pennsylvania had 20,867 people working in the craft-beer trade in 2012, earning $666.4 million in wages. Through 2012, it had 102 breweries, up from 93 the previous year. In craft-beer production, Pennsylvania is behind only California.
Downingtown, Pa.-based Victory Brewing Co. is the state’s largest craft brewer. A “craft brewer,” as defined by the Brewers Association, produces fewer than 6 million barrels a year. (Pottsville-based D.G. Yuengling & Son is the state’s largest overall brewer.)
Overall, American craft brewers contributed $33.9 billion to the U.S. economy in 2012.
