List of breweries in Alabama
| Company type | Various (craft breweries, brewpubs, importers, packagers, wholesalers) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Alabama and surrounding region |
| Products | Beer varieties (craft beer) |
Number of employees | 60 (directly employed by breweries in 2012) (2012) |
Alabama Breweries craft an assortment of beer varieties that are distributed both locally and throughout the region. In 2012, the state’s 17 breweries, importers, brewpubs, and company-operated packagers and wholesalers employed 60 individuals directly, while related fields such as wholesale and retail provided jobs for an additional 12,300 people. When including suppliers, the combined business and personal tax contributions from Alabama’s brewing sector and associated industries surpassed $259 million, with consumer spending generating another $205 million in tax income. According to the Brewers Association, Alabama ranked 49th nationwide in craft breweries per capita in 2012, hosting a total of 10.
By the close of 2013, the United States was home to 2,822 breweries, with craft breweries accounting for 2,768 of these. The brewing sector supported approximately 43,000 jobs across brewing and distribution and had an overall economic influence exceeding $246 billion.
By 2017, Alabama saw its brewery count grow to more than 27 establishments (including 27 members of the Alabama Brewer's Guild plus at least one independent operation).
Before Prohibition laws halted operations in 1909, beer production flourished in Alabama. Prior to legislative changes in 2009, beers exceeding 6% alcohol by volume (ABV) were prohibited statewide. The Brewery Modernization Act enacted in 2011 eased regulations on taprooms and brewpubs. Currently, the maximum legal ABV is set at 13.9%. Between 2011 and 2012, Alabama experienced the fastest annual growth rate in beer production nationwide.
Breweries
- Avondale Brewing Company – Birmingham
- Back Forty Beer Company – Gadsden
- Big Beach Brewing Company – Gulf Shores
- Birmingham District Brewing Company – Birmingham
- Black Warrior Brewing Company – Tuscaloosa
- Braided River Brewing Co. – Mobile
- Cahaba Brewing Company – Birmingham
- Chandlers Ford Brewing – Huntsville
- Chattahoochee Brewing Company – Phenix City
- Common Bond Brewers – Montgomery
- Cross-eyed Owl Brewing Company – Decatur
- Druid City Brewing Company – Tuscaloosa
- Fairhope Brewing Company – Fairhope
- Ferus Artisan Ales – Trussville, AL
- Folklore Brewing and Meadery – Dothan
- Ghost Train Brewing – Birmingham
- Goat Island Brewing – Cullman
- Good People Brewing Company – Birmingham
- Green Bus Brewing – Huntsville
- Haint Blue Brewing Company – Mobile
- InnerSpace Brewing Co. – Huntsville
- Iron Hand Brewing – Mobile
- Low Brim Brewing – Foley
- Mad Malts (formerly "The Brew Stooges") – Huntsville
- Main Channel Brewing – Guntersville
- Old Black Bear Brewing Company – Madison
- Oversoul Brewing – Helena
- The Railyard Brewing Company – Montgomery
- Red Clay Brewing Company – Opelika
- Resting Pulse Brewing Company – Opelika
- Rocket Republic Brewing Company – Madison
- Siluria Brewing Co. – Alabaster
- Singin' River Brewing – Florence
- Slag Heap Brewing Co. – Trussville
- Straight to Ale Brewing – Huntsville
- Tallulah Brewing Company – Jasper
- Trim Tab Brewing Company – Birmingham
- True Story Brewing Co. – Birmingham
- Twisted Barley Brewing – Jasper
- Yellowhammer Brewing – Huntsville
Closed breweries
- Alabama Brewing Company – operated in Birmingham from 1897 until 1908 by Isadore Newman, Arthur Isnard, and A. Cammack; continued ice production until 1917
- Band of Brothers Brewing Company – functioned between 2015 and 2018 in Tuscaloosa
- Barrett's Brewpub – active during the 1990s in Tuscaloosa
- Beer Engineers – contract brewed at Back Forty Brewing from 2012 to 2014; had plans for a dedicated facility in Birmingham
- Below the Radar – ceased operations in 2021 in Huntsville
- Birmingham Brewery / Philipp Schillinger Brewing Company – operated from 1884 to 1908 in Birmingham
- Birmingham Brewing Company (1889–1893) – run by W. I. Rushton in Birmingham
- Birmingham Brewing Company (1992–1998) – produced brands Vulcan and Red Mountain, with contract brewing continuing until 2001
- Blue Moose Cafe & Brewpub – located in Cullman
- Blue Pants Brewery – active from 2010 to 2019 in Madison; expanded distribution into Mississippi and Memphis markets
- Bluewater Brewing – established in Florence in 2016
- Bowler Hat Brewing Co. – based in Huntsville
- Breckenridge Brewery – operated during the 1990s in Birmingham
- Cheaha Brewing Company – functioned between 2013 and 2019 in Anniston
- Dothan Brewing Company – active in 2006 in Dothan
- Fractal Brewing Project – situated in Huntsville
- The Huntsville Brewery – operated from 2013 to 2014 in Huntsville
- Hurricane Brewing Company – ran from 2006 to 2009 in Mobile
- Interstellar Ginger Beer and Exploration Co. – located in Alabaster
- Magic City Brewery – brewpub operating from 1995 through 2000 in Birmingham
- Mr. Jim's Cannon Brewpub – active between 2004 and 2006 in Mobile
- Montgomery Brewing Company – operated from 1995 until 2010 in Montgomery
- Olde Auburn Ale House – brewed locally from 2000 to 2009; production was contracted out to Atlanta after that; based in Auburn
- Olde Towne Brewing Company – operated from 2004 to 2011 in Huntsville
- Poplar Head Mule Company – ran between 1995 and 2002 in Dothan
- Port City Brewery – recognized as Alabama’s first brewpub during the 1990s, located in Mobile
- Red Hills Brewery – operated from 2016 through 2019 in Homewood
- Salty Nut Brewery – based out of Huntsville
- Serda Brewing Co. – located in Mobile
- Southside Cellar Brewing Company – active during the mid to late 1990s in Birmingham
- Vulcan Breweries Company – operated during the late 1990s in Birmingham
Beer regulation
According to the Code of Alabama, beer is defined as fermented malt liquor containing between 0.5% and 13.9% alcohol by volume (ABV). Prior to changes enacted in 2009, Alabama restricted beer ABV to a maximum of 6%, a limitation shared only by Mississippi and West Virginia.
For retail sales, beer containers—excluding draft or keg formats—are restricted to a maximum size of 25.4 ounces (750 ml), an increase from the previous limit of 16 ounces following legislation passed in 2012.
Brewpubs
In Alabama, brewpubs are required to be located within historic structures situated in wet counties or municipalities where beer was publicly brewed prior to the 1919 enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment. The sale of brewpub beer is limited exclusively to consumption on-site and must be served directly from barrels.
Moreover, these establishments must operate a restaurant featuring a minimum of 80 seats, in accordance with state laws designed to protect historic brewing locations and support local hospitality enterprises.
"Free The Hops" movement
During 2006 and 2007, the grassroots advocacy organization Free The Hops proposed legislation in Alabama’s state legislature to increase the allowable beer alcohol by volume (ABV) limit to 13.9%. This legislation was approved and became effective in May 2009, bringing Alabama in line with states such as Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, which had previously raised their ABV limits to between 14% and 17.5%.
The Brewery Modernization Act of May 2011 further stimulated Alabama’s craft beer industry by permitting breweries to sell beer on-site like brewpubs or through wholesalers, eliminating previous barriers that impeded new brewery establishments.
In May 2012, Senate Bill 294 was enacted, authorizing the sale of beer containers up to 25.4 ounces (750 milliliters), with Governor Robert Bentley promptly signing it into law.
By May 2013, Free The Hops championed the Alabama Homebrewers Association’s successful bill legalizing homebrewing, ending Alabama’s distinction as the final state prohibiting home production of beer and wine.
In March 2016, Free The Hops supported the Alabama Brewers Guild’s Growler Bill, which was signed into law to allow breweries to sell limited quantities for off-premises consumption, ease location restrictions for breweries, and permit charitable donations at events. This legislation took effect on June 1, 2016.
Homebrewing
On May 9, 2013, Governor Bentley signed HB9 into law legalizing homebrewing in Alabama, making it the 49th state to permit this activity. Residents are allowed to produce up to 15 gallons per quarter and may store no more than that amount at their residence. However, homebrewing remains illegal for individuals living in dry counties or municipalities, minors, and those with felony convictions.
Brewers Association
Founded in 2009, the Alabama Brewers Guild advocates for the interests of licensed breweries and brewpubs actively producing craft beer within Alabama.
See also
External links
- Free the Hops - Brewery Modernization Act signed by Governor
- Free the Hops - amended Brewery Modernization Act
- Brewers Guild of Alabama
- Birmingham Beverage Company. "The History of Brewing in Alabama" - accessed April 26, 2010