Domestic beer sales up more than 1% this year

Domestic breweries can revel in the fact that beer sales are up by more than 1% in the U.S. this year. However, the driving force for this resurgence in sales is not coming from the traditional, full-calorie beers that have historically been the focal point for most domestic breweries.

It seems that the 2012 American palate now craves more of the specialty, craft, and small-market beers than ever before. Even more so, Americans prefer light beer over any other type of beer. It is of no surprise, then, that the leading selling beer in America last year (by a long shot) was Bud Light. Bud Light sold 39.15 million barrels last year. To put that into context, that is more than double the amount sold of Coors Light (#2 in domestic beer sales) and Budweiser (#3 in domestic beer sales).

As the beer industry continues to change, breweries constantly have to adapt in order to stay competitive. Larger breweries are banking on the popularity of craft brews by marketing their own specialty beer. Innovation in the market place is vital for some of these breweries to stay competitive.

Some breweries and beers are finding it difficult to stay relevant in the beer market. In a study by 24/7 Wall Street, nine domestic beers were identified as beers that Americans no longer drink. Each beer on the list has declined in sales by 30% or more since 2006, with #1 on the list having declined by 72% since 2006. Who tops the list of beer with the biggest sales decline since 2006? To find out, check out the article and full list: Nine Beers Americans No Longer Drink.