HOMEBREWING SKYROCKETS

IT SEEMS AS IF everyone is dabbling in homebrewing these days. The more that people enjoy craft beer, the more they want to learn how to brew it for themselves. The American Homebrewers Association (AHA) released the results of its fourth annual Homebrew Supply Shop Survey, detailing the current state of the home beer and wine supply retail industry. The results indicate that, on the whole, shops are thriving as they cater to the growing community of homebrewing fans. Reviewing data from 275 shops spanning 47 states – a 32 percent increase in participants from last year’s survey – the survey found that on average, participants saw gross revenue increase by 26 percent in 2O12. For shops that primarily sell homebrew supplies, gross revenue increased on average by 29 percent. This is 2 percent higher than last year’s results and 1O percent higher than results from the first AHA supply shop survey conducted in 2OO9
The majority of shops (8O percent) experienced increased sales of beginner homebrew equipment kits, signifying a considerable boost in interest in the hobby. The largest segment of people buying the beginner kits were individuals 3O- to 39-years-old. Also, in 2O13, 43 percent of responding shops said they have been open for three years or less, up from 34 percent in 2O12, indicating considerable growth in new shop openings. Beer ingredients sales outpaced those of wine among home beverage supply retailers, with an average of 35 percent of retail revenue coming from beer ingredients versus 21 percent from wine ingredients. For the full survey visit homebrewersassociation.org.