Foreign Intrigue
Imported beers reveal exotic appeal.
By Thomas Henry Strenk
and please their guests. With their wide-ranging styles, imports have an important place in every well-curated beer list. And some establishments, especially those with overseas-oriented themes or a tourist-heavy customer base, make their imported beer selection a competitive point of diff erentiation. In 2006, import beer volumes in the U.S. were up an impressive
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12 percent according to research by the Beverage Information Group (Cheers' parent company); by 2010, however, imports had dropped to 0.9 percent, fl at but still positive especially compared to total beer volume, which was down by 1.9 percent. Th e imported beer category has also been besieged by the weakened dollar in the global market and the poor domestic economy. Foreign imports can also be out of synch with the locavore trend currently ruling many restaurants. Nonetheless, there are many bright spots in the import sector. Corona Extra remains the No. 1 imported beer in the U.S.;
its sibling Corona Light ranks number six, according to statistics from Beverage Information Group's Handbook. Both Mexican
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mported beer can be romance in a glass and a taste of tradition from faraway lands. For many operators, foreign beers are a prestige call, a way to show off their sophistication
beers are from Crown Imports, which imports another strong contender, Modelo Especial in the number-three spot. In the iconic green bottle and now on draft in the U.S., it is the second- ranked import Heineken Lager. Heineken USA also imports two brands in the top fi ve—Tecate and Dos Equis; both are Mexican beers, and the latter is showing strong growth thanks in part to its "Most Interesting Man in the World" advertising campaign.
STANDOUTS AND COMPETITION "Although imported beer is down overall, a small number of
brands within the import section are actually performing quite well," notes Dan Hoff man, director of equipment and beverage specifi cations, global operations services for Bethesda, MD- based Marriott International Inc., with more than 3,000 hotels in 60 countries. Th e import brands that have thrived, believes Hoff man, are
those who have repositioned themselves, revamped packaging and continued marketing spend. As examples of positively performing imports, Hoff man cites Stella Artois, Dos Equis and Modelo Especial. Further, says Hoff man, Mexican imports have benefi ted from growth of the Hispanic demographic.
MARCH 2012 | 45
