World brewery total now over 19,000 (94 percent are craft beer)

The craft beer revolution is taking hold in more countries across the globe. Consumer demand and a growing passion for craft brewing mean you can now get an IPA in India or Iceland, a saison from Belgium or Brazil and an APA from the United States or Ukraine.

According to a new survey released by Alltech and The Brewers Journal, the number of breweries worldwide has surpassed 19,000, representing 209 countries and territories surveyed. Some 17,732, or 94 percent, of these breweries can be defined as craft beer producers. For the purpose of the survey, a craft brewery is defined as having fewer than 30 staff or producing less than 5,000 hectolitres per year or more than 50 percent of the brewery being privately owned.

The craft beer movement has created a global surge in the number of new breweries opening, with the United States and the United Kingdom alone seeing a greater than 10 percent increase in the number of craft breweries year-on-year. This has drastically changed the fonts and fridges in pubs and bars on every continent. The thrill of innovation, experimentation and community engagement is creating a new market for brewers and retailers.

The largest craft beer producer remains the United States with 4,750 craft breweries out of a total of 5,025 breweries. However, the United Kingdom has the most craft breweries per capita with 25 breweries per million people, compared with 15 in the United States and 16 in Germany.

Although the United States is recognized as the originator of the recent craft beer movement and has heavily influenced the modern take on traditional styles, there are more craft breweries in Europe than North America. The top 10 craft beer-producing countries are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia.