 For context, at the end of 2013 there were 2,822 breweries in the United States, including 2,768 craft breweries.In that same year, according to the Beer Institute, the brewing industry employed around 43,000 Americans in brewing and distribution and had a combined economic impact of more than $246 billion.Since the turn of the century, the number of craft breweries in Alaska has increased dramatically, reflecting a nationwide trend in the United States.