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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/725097
www.cheersonline.com 28 • September 2016 Overall beer consumption increased just 0.1% over 2014, notes Marina Velez, senior product manager at the Beverage Information & Insights Group, which compiles the data used to determine the Growth Brand winners. The biggest increase, not surprisingly, came from craft, which was up 15.1% in 2015 to 279 million 2.25-gallon cases, and fermented malt beverages (FMBs), up 6.7% to 108.2 million cases. The other beer segments all posted declines. While some analysts expect craft beer's growth to slow in the next few years, Velez notes that consumers today enjoy products that they can identify with, specifi cally in terms of how and where it is produced, and brands with a good story. "Craft beer appeals to this trend," Velez says, and will likely continue to do so. That's also why the major beer companies will continue to buy small and regional craft brewers. For the fi rst time in three years, the top Rising Star brand is actually a beer: Goose Island's IPA. Launched nearly fi ve years ago, the India pale ale from Chicago's Goose Island Brewery grew nearly 20% to hit 31.7 million 2.25-gallon cases in 2015. Goose Island was acquired by A-B InBev in 2011. Meanwhile, the second-fastest-growing Rising Star is a lager from Coney Island Brewing, up 35% to 16.2 million cases. Another lager, the bourbon-like Miller Fortune, grew an impressive 45% over 2014 to reach 7.3 million cases in 2015. Guinness Blonde American Lager, which launched in 2014, also posted solid growth. The beer, made in Latrobe, PA, using American hops and Guinness' 126-year-old yeast, was up nearly 31% and sold 327,000 cases in 2015. The overall fastest grower in 2015 is Rising Star Modelo Especial Chelada, which increased nearly 61% in 2015 to reach 4.1 million cases. Described as an authentic "cerveza preparada" brewed in Mexico, it's a blend of Modelo Especial beer with the fl avors of tomato, salt and lime. Launched in October 2013 in select markets, the brand went national in April 2014. The Bud Light Lime-a-Ritas, A-B InBev's Margarita- fl avored malt beverage line, continues to show strength among the Rising Stars. The Mango expression remains the biggest seller, up 13% to 9.1 million cases, though the Cran-Brrr-Rita, which launched in late 2013 as a limited-time-only winter seasonal, posted the highest growth rate of the the 'Ritas at 51%. Bud Light Lime Lemon-Ade-Rita joined the franchise in February 2015. Redd's Apple Ale from MillerCoors narrowly edged out Bud Light Lime Mang-o-Rita for the third spot on the Rising Stars list. While the four-year-old brand's growth has slowed from 21.8% in 2014 to 12.7% in 2015, it's the leading FMB on the list. The Rising Star ciders include Smith & Forge from MillerCoors and Johnny Appleseed and Stella Artois "cidre," both from A-B InBev. The hard cider category as a whole grew 9.6% in 2015 to 30.8 million cases sold in 2015, Velez notes, but that's down quite a bit from the hefty 63.1% growth it posted in 2014. RISING STARS: Brands less than fi ve full years of age that have exhibited substantial growth over the past few years. 2014-2015 Brand Supplier 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 % Change Goose Island IPA Anheuser-Busch InBev -- 17,077 19,003 26,458 31,700 19.8% Coney Island Brewing Lager Boston Beer Co. -- -- 7,066 12,037 16,200 34.6% Redd's Apple Ale MillerCoors -- -- 7,020 8,550 9,632 12.7% Bud Light Lime Mang-o-Rita Anheuser-Busch InBev -- -- -- 7,500 9,074 21.0% Miller Fortune MillerCoors -- -- -- 5,000 7,325 46.5% Bud Light Lime Raz-ber-Rita Anheuser-Busch InBev -- -- -- 5,850 6,215 6.2% Not Your Father's Root Beer Small Town Brewer/Pabst -- -- -- -- 5,000 ++ Redd's Strawberry Ale MillerCoors -- -- 1,450 3,330 4,299 29.1% Modelo Especial Chelada Constellation Brands -- -- 400 2,550 4,104 60.9% Samuel Adams Rebel IPA Boston Beer Co. -- -- -- 2,020 3,177 57.3% Bud Light Lime Cran-Brr-Rita Anheuser-Busch InBev -- -- 600 1,900 2,860 50.5% Smith & Forge MillerCoors -- -- -- 1,270 1,473 16.0% Johnny Appleseed Anheuser-Busch InBev -- -- -- 1,350 1,375 1.9% Stella Artois Cidre Anheuser-Busch InBev -- -- 300 1,040 1,195 14.9% All Day IPA Founders Brewing Company -- -- 450 780 1,029 31.9% Bud Light Lime Apple-ahhh-Rita Anheuser-Busch InBev -- -- -- 315 392 24.4% Guinness Blonde American Lager Diageo Guinness -- -- -- 250 327 30.8% River Ale Deschutes Brewery -- -- 131 146 170 16.4% ++ Greater than 100%. (000 2.25-Gallon Cases) BEER GROWTH BRANDS RISING STARS