Which year saw the greatest number of breweries in the US?

Which year saw the greatest number of breweries in the US?

• A. 1890
• B. 1980
• C. 2010
• D. 1920

Answer: (C)

The question hinges on how the number of breweries in the United States has changed over time, especially the effects of Prohibition and the recent craft beer revival. Breweries were numerous in the late 1800s, but Prohibition around 1920 drastically reduced the count. After Prohibition, the industry rebuilt slowly and remained relatively small by comparison for many decades. It wasn’t until the craft beer movement took off in the 1990s and exploded in the 2000s that the number of breweries surged, reaching a peak by around 2010. So, among the years shown, 2010 has the greatest number of operating breweries, reflecting that modern explosion in craft and microbrewing. The other years are limited by the long period of smaller numbers (1920) or by being earlier stages in the revival (1980) or part of the pre-craft era (1890).

The question hinges on how the number of breweries in the United States has changed over time, especially the effects of Prohibition and the recent craft beer revival. Breweries were numerous in the late 1800s, but Prohibition around 1920 drastically reduced the count. After Prohibition, the industry rebuilt slowly and remained relatively small by comparison for many decades. It wasn’t until the craft beer movement took off in the 1990s and exploded in the 2000s that the number of breweries surged, reaching a peak by around 2010. So, among the years shown, 2010 has the greatest number of operating breweries, reflecting that modern explosion in craft and microbrewing. The other years are limited by the long period of smaller numbers (1920) or by being earlier stages in the revival (1980) or part of the pre-craft era (1890).