35 Most Successful Craft Breweries in America

The original Stevens Point Brewery was established in 1857, and provided beer to Union soldiers during the Civil War. In addition to Classic Amber Lager and four other year-round beers, Stevens Point produces a handful of seasonal brews (Lake Side Vacation Ale, Oktoberfest, etc.) and a line of non-alcoholic Point Premium sodas.

Odell boasts a varied collection of beers ranging from a straightforward Colorado Lager to a seasonal “winter warmer” called — appropriately enough for the current situation — Isolation Ale. Opened in 1989, the brewery is now 100% employee-owned.

What is now Minhas Craft Brewery originally went into production in 1845, three years before Wisconsin became a state. It went through several changes of name and ownership through the years before Ravinder Minhas, a Canadian native of Indian descent, took it over and renamed it in 2006, at the age of 24. Minhas produces numerous beers under labels including Boxer, Huber, and Mountain Crest.

Employee-owned Harpoon makes everything from a classic IPA to a coffee porter co-branded with Dunkin’. A Massachusetts craft beer pioneer, it received state brewing permit #001 in 1986, and subsequently released New England’s first seasonal craft brew, Harpoon Winter Warmer.

German immigrant Francis Xavier Matt founded the West End Brewing Co. in 1888. During Prohibition, the brewery survived by making soft drinks, and upon Repeal, obtained the nation’s first license to make and sell beer. Now renamed in honor of its founder and run by fourth-generation members of the Matt family, it is best known for its Saranac beers — including Adirondack Lager and S’more Porter.