Beer in the United States is manufactured by more than 2,100 breweries, which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. The United States produced 196 million barrels of beer in 2009, and consumes roughly 20 US gallons (76 L) of beer per capita annually. In 2008, the United States was ranked 16th in the world in per capita consumption, while total consumption was second only to China.
While beer was an early part of colonial life in the United States, Prohibition in the early 20th century caused nearly all American breweries to close. After it was repealed, the industry was dominated by a consolidated number of large-scale breweries. The big breweries that returned to producing beer after Prohibition still retain volume sales in the 21st century. However, the majority of the new breweries in the US are small breweries and brewpubs, who as members of the Brewers Association are termed "craft breweries" to differentiate them from the larger and older breweries. The most common style of beer produced by the big breweries is American lager, a form of pale lager; while the small breweries, influenced by Michael Jackson, Charlie Papazian, and Fred Eckhardt, produce a range of styles. Beer styles originating in the United States include American Pale Ale, steam beer and cream ale.
Read more about Beer In The United States: Economy, Beer Styles
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