U.S. beer consumption has increased for the seventh straight year, in spite of price hikes, poor weather, a down economy and world events, the newly released Adams Beer Handbook 2003 showed, under the American City Business Journals Inc. Report. U.S. beer consumption in 2002 was 2.8 billion cases of 2.25 gallons each, according to the handbook. That represents a 1.8 % increase over 2001.

Light beer is the largest of all beer categories, with a 45.9 % market share, the report showed. In addition, four of the top five beers consumed in the United States are light beers. "Light beer, a category that did not exist 30 years ago, has become firmly entrenched in the marketplace," said Tiziana Mohorovic, spokeswoman for Adams Beverage Group. "Consumers' preference for reduced-calorie beer is expected to endure, in part due to the concern about waistlines, particularly among the baby-boomer set," Mohorovic said.

Another big increase was in imported beers, which saw nearly tripled case sales in the past 10 years.

The "malternative" beverage, such as Anheuser-Busch's Bacardi Silver, showed a 16 % sales gain last year. "Flavored malt beverages as a category may not last, but various brands -- the ones that got out first or are different enough from the rest of the pack -- will most likely survive for some time," the report said.

07 October, 2003