Economy of San Diego's Craft Beer Scene Sees Dramatic Rise

It’s obvious that San Diego’s craft beer industry is booming.

Now we have the numbers to prove it.

The economic value of our craft beer industry has doubled over the past three years, bringing $600 million in 2014, compared to $300 million in 2011, according to a newly released report by the National University System Institute for Policy Research.

A startling comparison: San Diego’s beer industry brought in more money than Super Bowl 49 generated for the Arizona economy.

Those dollars translate to more jobs and breweries and brewpubs in San Diego. The number of breweries in the past three years has more than doubled: there were 97 in 2014, up from 37 in 2011, according to the report.

The expansion of brewpubs has translated to a boom in jobs. Last year, San Diego’s breweries created or sustained 6,203 jobs, a 122-percent increase since 2011.

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