CRAFT BEER BESTS BUD

THE NUMBERS are close but Americans now buy more craft beer than Budweiser. Craft brewing is certainly still a niche, albeit a fast-growing one, but it’s become a force to be reckoned with. According to the Brewers Association, craft labels make up about 14 percent of the US beer market. Take all of the top selling craft brews, toss them together, and they barely outsell the third most popular brand in America. However, these new numbers are a very specific testament to the decline of the macro beer. Twenty years ago, when Americans were less health-conscious and had more homogeneous tastes, selling a mass-market, mid-priced lager designed to appeal to the largest possible demographic made complete sense. But drinkers’ tastes have changed and there is plenty in the market today to meet the new demands. By Anheuser-Busch Inbev’s account, 44 percent of Americans between the ages of 21 and 27 have never tried a Budweiser. This isn’t to say Budweiser is in immediate peril; it’s still the third most popular brand in the country. But it’s nonetheless a challenge for the future, which is why AB-Inbev is starting a new marketing effort to rehab the beer’s image with young drinkers.