Consumer interest in craft beers has caused an explosion in the beer category in 2014. This year, Anheuser-Busch Inbev took the top spot on Beverage Industry’s compilation of the Top 100 beverage companies based on 2014 sales. As a result of this trend, several breweries have moved up substantially on our list. C&C Group PLC, Dublin, moved up three spots this year to No. 44 as a result of the growth in the beer and hard cider markets. Lagunitas Brewing Co. saw increases of 49.8 percent, and Bell’s Brewery Inc. had increases of 28.6 percent. This year, Suntory Holdings LTD acquired Beam Inc., dropping Beam from the list. The median standard for the industry grew substantially again in 2014, with No. 50 beverage company, National Beverage Corp., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recording $641 million in 2014 sales.