2018 Beer Market Report

The U.S. beer market

Beverage Industry provides an in-depth look at the U.S. beer market and its 2017 performance. In addition to a category overview, this annual report offers detailed performance, insights and new product releases from five key beer segments: domestics, imports, craft, hard cider and flavored malt beverages.

Select a category above to read each 2018 report

Domestics

Migration trends across the alcohol beverage market have challenged the beer category, which has seen increasing market share competition from the wine and spirits categories. To combat these shifts, beer manufacturers are developing more high-end offerings as well as flavor profiles.

Imports

The imported beer market has experienced volume and dollar sales growth during the past few years. Analysts credit this performance to the growing popularity of Mexican beers, which are appealing to consumers across generations, demographics and cultures. Beer manufacturers also continue to make investments in import brands through product development and capital expenditures.

Crafts

After years of strong dollar and volume sales growth, craft beer’s performance has experienced a slowdown. To combat this performance, craft brewers are turning to new product development to release more sessionable and flavorful brews. Another positive for the beer segment is the performance of small, hyper-local craft brewers.

Ciders

When it comes to the U.S. beer market, educating consumers will be vital to bringing the hard cider segment back to growth after years of declines. Craft cider-makers have proven to be a bright spot for the segment, but have been unable to make up for the declines of national brands, experts note.

Flavored Malts

In the U.S. beer market, manufacturers are juggling a slew of taste profiles and trends when trying to understand what the next rotation will be when it comes to flavored malt beverages (FMBs). Currently, hard seltzer brands have garnered much of the attention with new entrants in the market while established brands have expanded their presence. FMB sales also have benefited from the return of old favorites and the staying power of classic brands.