NORWALK, Conn.—Rising fuel costs and high unemployment rates among its core customers caused overall U.S. beer consumption to decline 1.9% or 2.8 billion cases from last year, according to the Beverage Information Group's recently released 2011 Beer Handbook. This year’s loss marked the fourth straight year U.S. beer consumption has waned.
Most notably, the light beer segment contributed to the overall losses in the industry. The segment has seen declines among its core brands and is only seeing pockets of growth from newly introduced line extensions.
The higher-priced craft segment continued to post solid gains due to consumers' attraction to the interesting flavors craft brewers offer, while imports that previously have been experienced declines, gained 0.9% to 362.8 million cases last year.
"The super premium, craft/specialty and flavored malt beverage category has benefited from the craft sector's growth," said Eric Schmidt, Manager of Information Services for the Beverage Information Group. "Consumers are gravitating toward premium products with exciting and new flavors—something the craft segment has done well in providing."
According to the handbook, the super premium, craft/specialty and flavored malt beverage segment is predicted to show positive growth in the next five years; however, the gains won’t offset the losses in the remaining domestic segments. Premium, light, popular, ice and the malt liquor segments are expected to decline in the short term.
