ST. LOUIS — After a tough 2020, St. Louis' breweries bounced back in 2021.
All but one brewery that reported 2021 beer production to the Business Journal said they had growth year-over-year, at an average of 17% for the breweries on our List with both 2020 and 2021 production numbers.
For example, Festus-based Main & Mill Brewing Co. increased production by 41%, from 850 barrels in 2020 to 1,200 barrels in 2021. Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. reported a 20% increase in beer barrels produced in 2021 over 2020, growing from 20,000 barrels to 24,000 barrels.
But compared with 2019 production levels, results are mixed.
Schlafly Beer increased production from 24,000 barrels in 2020 to 25,000 in 2021, a 4% growth. But this still falls short of 2019's 31,000 barrels produced.
Six Mile Bridge produced 1,750 barrels in 2019, dropped to 1,200 in 2020. While the brewery increased production to 1,300 in 2021, this is still well short of 2019 production numbers.
Urban Chestnut, on the other hand, surpassed 2019's production levels in 2021, with 24,000 barrels produced last year compared with 22,500 barrels in 2019.
Whether the breweries surpassed 2019 production or not, it's clear that the industry is recovering. We spoke with a few brewery executives to understand the trends that are driving the industry.
Read what breweries had to say in the story on the St. Louis Business Journal website.
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