E-Malt.com News article: UK & USA: American craft beers are the fastest growing trend in UK

The fastest-growing beer trend in the United Kingdom are American craft brews, reported The Guardian on August, 21.

Research data show that sales of premium lagers imported from the U.S. have soared by 150% over the last year.

British pubgoers like very much the beers Blue Moon and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. UK grocer Tesco (TSCDY), sensing a trend in the making, is launching those two beers along with Goose Island and Brooklyn at 750 stores.

"American craft beers have become the UK's fastest growing beer trend and are now starting to muscle in on territory dominated by Belgian and German specialist brews," a Tesco's buyer was quoted as saying. "UK tastes have been changing for a while now, and more and more drinkers are moving towards flavoursome brews."

The U.S. has been on the craft beer bandwagon for a while. Even in the down economy, beer-drinkers have surprised everyone by sticking with pricier craft brews.

The craft beer industry has enjoyed double-digit sales gains in three of the last five years, The Los Angeles Times reports. And while craft beer only makes up about 5% of consumption in the U.S., experts say that could rise to 10% in five or six years.

The big-name beers, meanwhile, aren't drawing the same enthusiasm they once did from loyal customers. That's led major beer makers to focus more on craft labels. Blue Moon is made by Coors, and Anheuser Busch bought a big stake in Goose Island earlier this year.

"The popularity of American craft lagers is very much down to how they offer similar traits associated with the British brewing scene of older years," said Ian Lowe of the UK's Campaign for Real Ale. "They are more heavily hopped and are higher alcohol content brews."


24 August, 2011