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Little Big Brews
Craft Beer Brands Continue to Explode
In 2006, while sales of large domestic brewers still lagged
behind their 2004 peak, the craft beer segment continued to explode.
The Brewers Association, which tabulates industry growth data,
reports that in 2006, 77.7 percent of the craft beer produced was made
from the top 50 craft brewing companies. Additionally, 34 out of the
top 50 brewing companies in the United States meet the Brewers
Association’s definition of a craft brewer.
“Beer made by small, independent and traditional breweries is
definitely an American success story,” Paul Gatza, director of the
Brewers Association says. “There’s a change in lifestyle going on.
People are trading up, and that is what is creating such strong demand
for craft beer.”
With just under 1,400 small breweries, the segment eclipsed 6.7
million barrels in 2006. The fastest growing craft beer sector in 2006
was microbreweries (those under 15,000 barrels a year). Sales were up
16 percent, showing customer support for local breweries. Total craft
beer industry sales have grown 31.5 percent over the last 3 years, and
performance thus far in 2007 points toward accelerating sales
growth. NCB |
