E-Malt.com News article: USA: Higher-calorie beer sales down

The beer industry has been struggling over the past few years, but the decline in some of America's best known brands may not be due to the recession alone. U.S. beer drinkers are now more health conscious, Kdrv.com reported on September, 12.

Full calorie beers, about 145 calories a can, are less and less popular, according to specialist research firm, Beer Marketer's Insights.

Light and ultra-light beers, at 100 calories or less, have taken over half the market in the last 30 years or so. Budweiser lost 30% of its sales volume between 2006 and 2010.

Sales of Bud Light, which is the real king of beers, held steady at 39 mln barrels a year, almost double that of Budweiser. Michelob and Milwaukee's best have also been hit hard, losing more than half their sales between 2006 and 2010.

Since 2005 sales of the top 20 brands have dropped by 10 mln barrels to 149 mln. One key factor: the key beer drinking demographic - 21 to 34 year old, blue-collar men - has been hit hard with unemployment. However, wine and spirits are doing better than ever. Americans are also turning more to regional craft beers and imports, like Corona.


16 September, 2011