The Brewers Association, the trade group of America’s small and independent brewers, defines the word craft. “An American craft brewer is a small and independent brewer.” The rule for small reads: “Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales).” Independent means that a non-craft alcohol company owns or controls less than 25 percent of the brewery.
By January 2011 the size limit had been raised from 2 million to 6 million barrels. Until December 2018 the definition also had a “traditional” test, based mainly on all-malt beers. It was replaced by a simpler rule. The brewer “Has a TTB Brewer’s Notice and makes beer.”