Hunter S. Thompson once famously wrote, "Good people drink good beer. Just look around any public barroom and you will see: Bad people drink bad beer. Think about it."
If that thinking has merit, there’s been a 15% rise in good people in the United States, according to mid-year figures released by the Brewers Association, pointing to a 15 per cent jump in craft and microbrew beer sales over the last six months, on top of a 14 per cent jump the six months prior.
Volume has also increased by 13 per cent, with a 12 per cent jump prior to that.
During the first half of 2013, approximately 7.3 million barrels of beer were sold by small and independent craft brewers, according to the association, despite an overall industry drop of 2 per cent through the first six months of the year.
In contrast, Molson Coors Brewing (
T.TPX.A,
NYSE: TAP,Stock Forum) produced 4 million barrels by itself in the first six months of 2011.
“Demand for beer produced by small and independent brewers has never been higher, as evidenced by increased production and the hundreds of new breweries joining the playing field each year,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association.
Gatza points to a preference for quality and variety as the reason behind the trend, stating, “Beer drinkers nationwide are responding positively to high-quality, full-flavored, diverse offerings from American craft brewing companies that continue to innovate and push the envelope.”
The Brewers Association counts 2,538 breweries operating in the U.S. currently, up 446 breweries since June 2012 with 1,605 breweries in the planning stage. This represents a higher number than at any point since the 1870’s.
98 percent of U.S. brewers are considered craft brewers.
In Canada, craft brew sales are strongest in British Columbia, accounting for around 12 per cent of all beer sold in the province, and sales of $110 million in 2010.
-Chris Parry, Stockhouse.com