Drink indigenous

[randy_byers]

Apparently one industry that's still doing well in the economic downturn is craft brewing. This AP article claims that demand is growing so much that some craft brewers are reducing distribution to serve the local market. I'm not convinced that this is an actual trend, but the article is still an interesting reflection of the gradually evolving U.S. beer market:

Craft brewers pull back on wider market to tap local thirsts

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2015801784_brewery03.html

The other side of this, which Jeff Alworth writes about in "The Future is Craft", is that increased sales of craft beer seems to be coming at the expense of some of the big industrial beers. He quotes an LA Times article: "Big beer brands have been losing the affinity of core drinkers over the last two years, according to YouGov's BrandIndex, a research firm that tracks brand buzz, loyalty and quality perceptions based on consumer surveys. MillerCoors' Miller Lite and Coors Light and Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light have had negative ratings for most of that period."

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

My grandfather prospered during the Great Depression, because he was a beer distributor. Beer was one of the cheapest entertainments available, along with, perhaps, movies.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. What's interesting about the craft beer trend is that it's higher priced than big corporate beer.