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Jesus Malverde

(10,274 posts)
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 08:17 PM Apr 2014

The State of American Beer

What's going on in Beer World? Beer lovers of America might be forgiven if their grasp of the current brew-scape feels iffy. Alice herself would be at home in this Wonderland. It's a world in which up is down, little is big, and there's no Blue Moon on the horizon. 

It's a world in which old standbys are faltering (case sales of Miller High Life were down almost 10 percent in 2013 from the prior year). Mexican labels are dominant (Corona, Modelo, and Dos Equis, account for three of the top four imported beers). And a craft-beer company founded only 20 years ago is coming on strong ("Bartender, pour me a Lagunitas&quot .

The March 2014 issue of Beverage Industry offers us a through-the-looking-glass portrait of Beer World in the United States today. The magazine unleashed its writers on data gathered by Information Resources Inc. (IRI) of Chicago from supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, gas and convenience stores, military commissaries, and select club and dollar retail chains for the 52 weeks ending December 29, 2014. I made graphs and charts from their tabular data.

Before we delve into the particulars, let's remember the big picture: over the past twenty years, per-capita consumption of beer in the U.S. has been declining. Derek Thompson wrote about that here last August, citing this report. But twenty years is a long lens. Let's take a look at the state of Beer World in the last year. 

Read More: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/04/the-state-of-american-beer/360583/

23 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The State of American Beer (Original Post) Jesus Malverde Apr 2014 OP
Fat Tire is available in Florida stores now. flvegan Apr 2014 #1
Also a good choice! CFLDem Apr 2014 #3
years ago the only place I ever saw it was in airports arely staircase Apr 2014 #22
I have huge problems with this study. CFLDem Apr 2014 #2
Just a great time to be a beer lover...now if we can just get Cigar City to market in NC! NRaleighLiberal Apr 2014 #4
One of several breweries I wish we could get on the West Coast. Never had any Cigar City beers nomorenomore08 Apr 2014 #16
Maybe the American public is developing a taste for good beer. How in the world doc03 Apr 2014 #5
Amen Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Apr 2014 #6
marketing….. dhill926 Apr 2014 #7
Time to dethrone? Initech Apr 2014 #8
Corona is shitty beer and it's doing better, so probably not. JVS Apr 2014 #13
Blessed with a local microbrewery. Kilgore Apr 2014 #9
Same here local brewery marlakay Apr 2014 #10
Foil pouch? Awesome, can I have one sewed to my stomach like some type of hop-swilling marsupial- FSogol Apr 2014 #12
Husband is the fan I partake once in awhile marlakay Apr 2014 #23
Me too...and a local joint that mimics a Haight-Ashbury wine & beer place. Historic NY Apr 2014 #11
America is turning out some of the best beers in the world right now. ForgoTheConsequence Apr 2014 #14
"Best" is pretty subjective Major Nikon Apr 2014 #17
What I find interesting Jenoch Apr 2014 #15
A couple of my friends are into home-brewing nowadays, which I'm certainly all for. nomorenomore08 Apr 2014 #18
This article pairs nicely with a Sierra Torpedo. LeftyMom Apr 2014 #19
Top Craft Beers Matariki Apr 2014 #20
Blue Moon is Coors. nt LeftyMom Apr 2014 #21

arely staircase

(12,482 posts)
22. years ago the only place I ever saw it was in airports
Fri Apr 18, 2014, 12:31 AM
Apr 2014

Nowadays I can get it in the grocery store in this one horse town. It is one of my favorites. Maybe my favorite.

 

CFLDem

(2,083 posts)
2. I have huge problems with this study.
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 08:40 PM
Apr 2014

First off- Budweiser? Eww

Secondly- Blue Moon is awesome. So is Sam Adams. And Shock Top. And Magic Hat... And- I'm getting a beer

NRaleighLiberal

(60,014 posts)
4. Just a great time to be a beer lover...now if we can just get Cigar City to market in NC!
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 08:45 PM
Apr 2014

Lagunitas makes killer stouts and they are really reasonable.

We are finishing off some chocolate and coffee stouts we got around Christmas (Harpoon, Terrapin, Founders, Bells).

nomorenomore08

(13,324 posts)
16. One of several breweries I wish we could get on the West Coast. Never had any Cigar City beers
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 11:40 PM
Apr 2014

but I know a few of them are legendary among connoisseurs.

doc03

(35,325 posts)
5. Maybe the American public is developing a taste for good beer. How in the world
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 08:46 PM
Apr 2014

Budweiser became the king of beers I will never know.

JVS

(61,935 posts)
13. Corona is shitty beer and it's doing better, so probably not.
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 10:05 PM
Apr 2014

If anything, it's probably the younger generation isn't as keen on beer. They prefer mixed drinks.

Kilgore

(1,733 posts)
9. Blessed with a local microbrewery.
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 09:50 PM
Apr 2014

We have a local micro micro brewery in our town. Only sells beer by the glass or growler. No plans to bottle it.

Kilgore

marlakay

(11,451 posts)
10. Same here local brewery
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 09:55 PM
Apr 2014

They have locals special mid week for growlers, we live in tourist town. We already had one brewery get big sell out and leave town. Luckily new brewery 2 years old has great beer, already won awards and they own another beer and brats place in town and want to stay local.

Their new thing is beer in a foil pouch, I think they are trying to go against broken bottles.

FSogol

(45,476 posts)
12. Foil pouch? Awesome, can I have one sewed to my stomach like some type of hop-swilling marsupial-
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 10:00 PM
Apr 2014

human hybrid?

I'm lucking enough to live in Northern Virginia where brew pubs, microbreweries, and nano-breweries are blooming faster than the oak pollen. Pretty heady times for fan of beer.

marlakay

(11,451 posts)
23. Husband is the fan I partake once in awhile
Fri Apr 18, 2014, 01:07 AM
Apr 2014

I am in the mountains in WA state, we have tons in this state too.

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)
17. "Best" is pretty subjective
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 11:42 PM
Apr 2014

Every village in Germany has their own beer label (if not several), most of which you will never see in the US. In a lot of ways the US is catching up, but we are still a few hundred years behind.

 

Jenoch

(7,720 posts)
15. What I find interesting
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 11:08 PM
Apr 2014

is that wine cinsumption is down and beer consumption is ahead of wine in Italy among young people.

I did not read the attached report from the OP, but what I see is that sales of traditional mass market beer such as Bud and Miller might be down but craft and some regional beer companies are thriving.

nomorenomore08

(13,324 posts)
18. A couple of my friends are into home-brewing nowadays, which I'm certainly all for.
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 11:47 PM
Apr 2014

Self-sufficiency - brewing your own beer, growing your own veggies, hell, growing your own bud - is never a bad thing.

Matariki

(18,775 posts)
20. Top Craft Beers
Thu Apr 17, 2014, 11:57 PM
Apr 2014

Redhook, Widmer, Kona (I love Kona Longboard) are owned by Craft Brewers Alliance (majority owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev). Anheuser-Busch owns Samual Adams. And probably more on the list as well. They pretty much buy up the competition.

http://www.nomorefreebeer.com/index.php/the-facts/anheuser-beer-list/

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