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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/383488
www.cheersonline.com 23 Cheers September 2014 • 23 September 2014 • September 2014 • Beer is the adult beverage of choice in the U.S., according to a recent Gallup poll. The study found that 41% of participants typically drink beer; 31% drink wine and 23% consume liquor. Americans' current preference for beer is among the highest Gallup has recorded since beer fell to 36% in 2005. Still, total beer consumption slipped 1.6% in 2013 to 2.8 billion 2.25-gallon cases, according to the Beverage Information Group, the research unit of Cheers' parent company. Light beer, which still commands a 49% share of the total beer category, was down 4.1% in 2013, while malt liquor fell 3.2% from 2012. Consumption of popular beers dropped 2.7%, and superpremium and premium domestic beers decreased 2.2%. So where is the growth? Primarily in craft brews, ciders, and specialty beverages. Craft beer consumption, for instance, increased 14%, about the same percentage as the previous year. Ciders, which are included in our Beer Growth Brands, posted tremendous growth overall. The cider category's consumption was up a whopping 66%, reaching 16.8 million 2.25-gallon cases in 2013. Thanks largely to the Bud Light Lime-a-Rita phenomenon, fl avored malt beverage consumption was up 2.7%, though that's not quite as robust as the category's 7.8% increase for the previous year. In fact, three out of the 19 Rising Star Growth Brands are Bud Light Ritas, four are ciders and the bulk are craft beer releases. With all the new fl avors and styles of beers, the category is now driven by product releases. This could in part explain the lack of Comeback Brands—those that have rebounded in sales to at least the previous level after a recent decline. As with the previous two years, there were no Comeback Brands to report for 2014. RISING STAR GROWTH BRANDS The Rising Star Growth Brands are, well, on the rise: There are 19 Rising Stars for 2014 vs. 12 for 2013 and seven for 2012. Rising Star brands must be under fi ve full years of age and have exhibited substantial growth during the past few years. Interestingly, the top Rising Star brand from last year, Anheuser-Busch InBev's Bud Light Platinum, did not make the list in 2014. The lager had launched with a splash in 2012 and sold 27.5 million 2.25-gallon cases in 2013. Budweiser brands still top the list, however. The top-two Rising Stars are Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas, while number three is Budweiser Black Crown. Introduced in February 2013, Black Crown was the result A-B-InBev's Project 12 initiative, in which the company's brewers came up with a dozen different beers in the style of Bud. The 12 brews were then whittled down to six; Budweiser Black Crown was the winner based on customer taste tests and opinions. CIDER HOUSES RULE Cider remains a small fraction of the beer market, but the category's growth in recent years is remarkable. U.S. consumers have clearly developed a taste for the fermented apple beverage. The leading cider brand, Boston Beer Co.'s Angry Orchard, posted a staggering increase of 242% —from 2.2 million cases in 2012 to 7.5 million cases in 2013. The brand launched in late 2011 in New England and went nationwide in mid-2012. Angry Orchard comes in the core Crisp Apple, Traditional Dry, Apple Ginger and Green Apple fl avors, as well as the seasonal Elderfl ower (available from April through August) and Cinnful (August through March) cinnamon spice fl avors. The brand also includes the Cider House Collection fl avors: Ice Man, Straw Man and The Muse. www.cheersonline.com 23 Cheers September 2014 •