Exclusive: Our Ranking of Brooklyn’s 20 Craft Breweries

The beer business is booming again, driven by creative new brews, entrepreneurial spirit and social media

Fermenting tanks at Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg (Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery)

The rise and fall–and then rise again–of Brooklyn’s brewing industry is a remarkable story. Brooklyn had 45 breweries at the beginning of the 20th century, but zero by 1976. A dozen years later, former journalist Steve Hindy and a partner launched Brooklyn Brewery, which has been followed by 19 others in the ensuing years.

The pace is picking up. Two Brooklyn-based brewers that have been so-called nomads, Grimm Artisanal Ales and Braven Brewing, have plans to open their own brick-and-mortar plants in the borough soon. To help beer aficionados and industry players keep up with developments, we compiled this list of Brooklyn brewers with our partner Legendary Data. We ranked them by their social-media following, which has become a primary way for fans to discover new brews and events.

For an up-close look at industry leaders, check out our profiles of Sixpoint Brewery, Threes Brewing and Other Half Brewing and our podcast with Brooklyn Brewery’s co-founder Hindy. If you see any errors or omissions on our list, please let us know at editor@thebridgebk.com and we’ll make a prompt update.