Ranking ninth by volume on the list of American brewers is Craft Brewers Alliance (HOOK), which trades on the Nasdaq. The company’s roots go back to 1984, when Kurt and Robert Widmer founded Widmer Brothers Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon. Today Widmer produces at least a half-dozen classic American and European brews, from the light “Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen” to the dark “Pitch Black IPA.” Revenues last year were $146 million. And the company is growing by acquiring. In 2008, Widmer merged with Redhook Ale Brewery of Seattle, adopting the name Craft Brewers Alliance. Redhook makes a half-dozen beers. And...