Beer-articles 571

The global beer market is currently on a path of robust growth, with an estimated increase of $148.43 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to a new report by market research firm Technavio.

The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.72% during this period. This expansion is largely driven by rising demand in emerging economies and a noticeable trend towards mergers and acquisitions within the industry.

The market’s growth is characterized by a diverse range of products—including lagers, ales and non-alcoholic options—catering to a global audience. Researchers highlighted the increasing popularity of craft beer and the emergence of more independent breweries, reflecting evolving consumer preferences, especially among younger consumers of legal drinking age in local markets. These breweries are often at the forefront of innovation, offering more flavors and styles that appeal particularly to millennials and Generation Z.

But the world’s top beer manufacturers—including AleSmith Brewing Co., Anheuser Busch InBev, Asahi Group, BrewDog, Carlsberg Breweries, Cloudwater Brew Co., Constellation Brands and others—are key players in this burgeoning scene. Strategic acquisitions are enabling these companies to broaden their market presence, access new technologies and meet the diverse preferences of consumers. A notable example is Carlsberg’s acquisition of Waterloo Brewing for $106 million, completed in 2023, which highlighted its aim to strengthen its foothold in North America.

Despite these positive trends, the beer market faces challenges from stringent regulations and high taxes on alcoholic beverages. Regulatory bodies worldwide have established comprehensive guidelines governing the production, sale, and distribution of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer. For instance, in the United States, the Food Safety Modernization Act mandates that breweries adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure hygiene and safety in production facilities. Non-compliance with these regulations can result in severe penalties and fines.

Environmental sustainability is another crucial aspect shaping the beer industry. Breweries are increasingly adopting eco-friendly practices, focusing on reducing their carbon footprint and promoting recycling programs, particularly for glass bottles. This shift not only addresses environmental concerns but also resonates with the growing number of environmentally conscious consumers.

And yet, traditional glass bottles continue to be favored for their ability to preserve the taste and aroma of beer.

Tourism also plays a pivotal role in the beer market, with many tourists seeking unique beer experiences. This has further boosted the demand for craft beers and specialty brews, contributing to the market’s overall growth.

In the long term, online retail might prove to be the biggest contributor. E-commerce has also significantly expanded the reach of beer companies, large and small, allowing consumers to access a wider variety of beer products from around the world. Personalized recommendations, targeted marketing strategies and better customer engagement are vital tools for breweries to maintain consumer loyalty and drive sales.

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China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of beer, is expected to see a consumption recovery in the second half of this year, favoring premium offerings, on the back of sporting events.

CGS International expects a recovery in beer consumption in the latter part of the year following an estimated decline in volumes in the first half of the year compared to 2023.

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Sporting events such as the ongoing Euro 2024, the upcoming Copa Americana and Paris Olympics, coupled with hotter weather, are expected to drive up demand for the beverage.

CGS analysts Lei Yang and Sun Feifei highlighted in a report published last month that higher-than-expected sales of premium beer products in the catering and entertainment channels are expected to lift the sector.

Pointing to the Euro 2024, Chinese online database QiChaCha noted that bars and stores have been decorated with European Cup merchandise and they are offering sports-themed meals to cash in on the frenzy.

“The beer market has shown a clear growth trend, and major beer brands have competed to launch products and services that match scenario-based consumption,” according to a note by Chinese online database QiChaCha, which revealed that beer-related enterprises in China had grown by more than 7,000 last year.

“The European Cup ignites the ‘beer economy,'” the firm said, adding that China’s beer industry had shown a clear trend towards high-end offerings.

The trend favoring higher-end beer is expected to boost margins for breweries, further aided by cheaper barley prices that are driving costs lower, Sun and Lei said.

They cited data from China customs agency and their own research, showing that the average imported barley price fell by 30% year on year in January to April to US$273 per ton. “We expect this trend to continue in the whole of [2024],” they said.

They also expect China’s beer industry to continue to benefit from a product mix upgrade, besides lower barley prices and packaging material prices in 2024.

China is not alone in seeing this recovery. In May, a Reuters report highlighted that global brewers were set to sell more beer this year after several quarters of declines.

The report added that Heineken, the second-largest brewer in the world, had reported its first quarterly volume growth in over a year in the first quarter of 2024. Rival Carlsberg also reported higher volumes in the same period after several quarters of decline.

Carlsberg chief executive Jacob Aarup-Andersen said that brewers will be boosted by events such as the Paris Olympics and the Euro 2024, according to the report.

“We do expect positive volume growth going forward,” Aarup-Andersen said, adding that the brand will benefit particularly from rising sales in Asia.

Lei and Sun have singled out two Chinese beer breweries, Tsingtao Brewery and China Resources Beer, as major beneficiaries of the expected rise in consumption. They have given the beer sector an “overweight” rating.

The duo, however, remarked that heightened price competition among breweries would strain margins.

MadTree Brewing Holly Days, from Cincinnati, Ohio

Late last year, a panel of over two dozen category experts convened in Northern California in order to pore over (and pour through) some of the best beers on the planet. The annual gathering, known as the World Beer Competition, is run by the Tasting Alliance. If you’re not already familiar with that organization, they’re the same folks responsible for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition—often regarded as that industry’s preeminent judging.

So, clearly they know how to foam up prestige within the adult beverage sector. Which bodes well for the talented craftspeople over at MadTree Brewing in Cincinnati, Ohio. Because the World Beer Competition has just named its Holly Days release the best India Pale Ale on the planet. The wintertime brew uses an adjunct of spruce tips to affect a poignant seasonality beyond the bitter base formed from Cascade, Chinook, Sultana and Eureka hops.

It’s not just some marketing gimmick, either. Crack open a can of the 6.8% ABV liquid and you’ll detect a pronounced piney-ness in the aroma and across the palate. It’s evocative of Christmas, to be sure, and also fits hand-in-glove with the resiny, citrus pith gliding off the precise hops recipe used for the brew.

Ultimately, however, it might be the lengthy—and unexpectedly—complex finish that curried favor with the judges at the Tasting Alliance. It tickles the tongue with an initial tang, which is almost a misdirection since the parting flavor is a drying return to that prescribed piney-ness. And who doesn’t love a good circle story? Especially one that can be shared for a retail price of $11 per six-pack.

The only thing that hopheads have to complain about with Holly Days is that, as its name suggests, this is an offering that’s only available during the festive season of November through January. In the meantime, if you’d like to explore a comparable counterpart, the fermentation artisans at MadTree produce a year-round staple called Psychopathy. It’s similar in profile, utilizing many of the same ingredients (minus those celebrated spruce tips, of course), and it’s readily available for around $12 per six-pack.

The Tasting Alliance, for its part, has a lot more exclusive news to share with us in the weeks ahead. So stay tuned for an imminent reveal of more big winners, not just in the world of beer, but in the wine and spirits sectors as well.

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Joseph L. Owades, the son of working-class Jewish immigrants who escaped Europe shortly before ethnic turmoil ignited World War I, enjoyed an unlikely career reinventing the way Americans drink beer.

Not once, but twice.

His claim to fame? That he was, and still is, America’s greatest brewer.

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Here is the story of the American who invented light beer — and helped create craft brewing as we know it today.

The brilliant biochemist Owades (1919-2005) turned centuries of brewing know-how upside down in the 1960s when he developed a revolutionary process for brewing full-flavored beer with fewer carbohydrates and calories.

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Light beer is what we now call his creation.

“Tastes great. Less filling” — that’s how the cultural-landmark Miller Lite marketing campaign of the 1970s and ’80s famously summed up his innovation.

Today, light beer accounts for about 40% of all beer consumed across the nation, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights.

“He lived long enough to see light beer become a national phenomenon,” his son Stephen Owades, an MIT-educated musician in Cambridge, Mass., told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.

For an encore in the 1980s, Owades provided his brewing expertise to a generation of young entrepreneurs eager to make small-batch American beer but lacking the expertise.

Anchor Brewing, Samuel Adams, the former Pete’s Wicked brand — each on the list of the earliest, most successful and most influential craft breweries — were among the companies that hired Owades to pair his technical precision with their passion.

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America now boasts more than 9,000 craft breweries, thanks largely to the success of these Owades-aided pioneers.

“He was present at the creation” of craft brewing, Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) founder Jim Koch boasted to Fox News Digital in an interview.

Koch called Owades “a mentor.”

When Owades passed away in 2005, Koch flew across the country to speak at the funeral in Sonoma, Calif. — and named one of Boston Beer Co.’s large aging cellars in honor of the American brewing titan.

“He was our brewfather. The first. The only. The best,” said Koch.

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The late beer-making genius is a legend in the brewing industry, though largely unknown to the millions of consumers who each day enjoy the beer and beer styles he helped formulate.

Simon and Gussie (Horn) Owades, Joseph’s parents, met and married in New York City, according to Stephen Owades. Simon arrived at Ellis Island in 1905, Gussie around the same period.

They held passports from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, though the area in which they lived is now part of Ukraine. They were not Ukrainian, however, said their grandson Stephen.

“They were Jews from The Pale” — a multinational area of Eastern Europe before World War I generally tolerant of Jews, but largely impoverished.

Many of them fled to the United States to escape persecution and poverty and seek better opportunities for their children.

Joseph Owades fulfilled those dreams of his immigrant, Yiddish-speaking parents.

Simon Owades fed the family by working as a cloth cutter in New York City’s robust but labor-intensive garment industry. His working-class immigrant heritage helped fuel his son’s career as a scientist.

“He was a hands-on, industrial guy,” Pete’s Wicked Ale founder Pete Slosberg told Fox News Digital this week.

“I call him the hired gun of the craft beer industry.”

Being poor and Jewish in pre-World War II America meant there were few available seats in the Ivy League or other elite institutions of higher learning.

The brilliant young Owades might have gone to Harvard or Yale — but “educational opportunities for Jews faced quotas at this point,” said Koch.

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Staring at limited prospects in the 1930s, Owades, who attended New York City public schools, moved on to higher education at City College of New York, Gotham’s low-cost public university.

He later earned his PhD from the former Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and embarked on a career in food science. Among other achievements, he became an expert in yeast, essential to beer-making, for Fleischmann’s Yeast.

He then become an executive at Rheingold Brewery in Brooklyn, which dominated the New York City beer market for much of the 20th century.

At Rheingold, Owades had his eureka moment.

He discovered that brewing beer with an enzyme called amyloglucosidase “breaks down the sugars that the natural enzymes [in the brewing process] cannot,” Koch explained.

Yeast consumes sugar during fermentation, turning it into alcohol. The enzyme Owades used digested more of the sugars — resulting in fewer calories but more alcohol.

More alcohol posed no issue. The beer could be diluted to typical beer-strength of around 4%-5% alcohol by adding carbonated water, said Koch.

Thus, Owades not only created a new reduced-calorie beer — he also saved money and increased productivity.

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“Instead of spending $600 million on a new brewery, you could spend $100 million on high-speed bottling lines and double the capacity of a brewery,” said Koch.

Rheingold executives failed to capitalize on the innovation. They promoted the beer tepidly as a low-calorie alternative to traditional beer — “It doesn’t taste like it doesn’t fill you up,” read one poorly worded ad.

“So what’s it taste like?” posited another awkward promo.

And they meekly offered this product from a safe distance.

Rheingold created a shadow company called Forrest Street Brewing and marketed the new brew as Gablinger’s Beer to avoid sullying the flagship brand name.

“They were afraid of the blowback,” said Stephen Owades. He recalls as a teenager watching dad’s Gablinger’s Beer, under the code name Jupiter, being blind taste-tested against Rheingold’s flagship lager at the 1964 New York World’s Fair in Queens.

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“The consensus was that Gablinger’s scored higher than Rheingold. Significantly higher,” said the younger Owades.

New Yorkers apparently loved the taste of the low-calorie beer. But “Rheingold couldn’t sell it,” said the son.

The beer never quite captured the assertive image traditionally associated with and coveted by largely male beer drinkers.

Owades, facing no objection from Rheingold following the failure of Gablinger’s, brought the light beer concept to Peter Hand Brewing of Chicago.

There, it was marketed as Meister Brau Lite, a low-calorie version of their flagship brand Meister Brau.

It slowly built a cult following among working-class enclaves of the still heavily industrialized Midwest — as Miller Brewing executives allegedly learned in the course of their due diligence while purchasing Meister Brau Lite in 1972.

“Meister Brau Lite wasn’t doing well,” said Koch. “Except there was an anomaly. It was doing well in the blue-collar bars on the South Side of Chicago — White Sox territory.”

Similar versions of the story cite other working-class communities in the region.

The Miller execs asked men at the bar why they liked Meister Brau Lite.

“Because it tastes great and has less filling, they said,” according to Koch. “The light bulb went off from there.”

The new owners rebranded the product Miller Lite and threw the full weight of their marketing muscle behind Owades’ innovation, most notably with an ad campaign featuring a who’s who of macho male celebrities and athletes of the era.

Former NFL star Bubba Smith starred in one early ad, touting his brawn on the football field before effortlessly ripping the top off a can of Miller Lite with his massive, meaty paw.

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Legendary Chicago Bears tough guy Dick Butkus starred alongside Smith in another spot, growling, “We’re not just a couple of animals who can only play football.”

The campaign developed the pithy tagline “Tastes great. Less filling” — as athletes, celebrities, and fans argued in a series of ads over Miller Lite’s greatest quality.

In the 1980s, sports fans in packed arenas across the country began parroting the debate by the tens of thousands. One half of the ballpark yelled “Tastes great!” — while the other half barked back, “Less filling!”

It was marketing gold. Miller Lite had gone viral.

Owades’ innovation had finally met its moment.

America embraced the more muscular image of his reduced-calorie beer and never looked back.

The other big breweries quickly joined the light beer movement.

Today, the top-three selling beer brands in the U.S. are Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Coors Light. Light beer remains a largely American phenomenon, say industry experts.

Owades, ironically, was not a beer drinker.

“He didn’t love alcoholic beverages as a concept,” said his son. “To him, it was an interesting science problem to solve. He had an expert palate and nose. But he was not somebody who loved beer.”

Yet generations of Americans have loved — and still love — the beer he created.

To read more stories in this unique “Meet the American Who…” series from Fox News Digital, click here.

Original article source: Meet the American who invented light beer

Consuming a single alcoholic drink per day can reduce a person’s life expectancy by two-and-a-half months, according to an expert on substance use. 

Tim Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, told The Daily Mail that alcohol cuts down one’s life expectancy.

Having a drink a day can lower life expectancy by two-and-a-half months, while having five drinks a day can decrease life expectancy by around two years, and two drinks per week can reduce it by as much as six days.

“Alcohol is our favorite recreational drug,” Stockwell told the Daily Mail. “We use it for pleasure and relaxation, and the last thing we want to hear is that it causes any harm … it’s comforting to think that drinking is good for our health, but unfortunately, it’s based on poor science.”

Stated harms of alcoholic consumption include damage to organs like the brain, liver, and heart, damage to the nervous system, as well as contributing to heart disease and higher blood pressure.

Regarding studies that indicate non-drinkers suffer from various illnesses that drinkers can avoid, Stockwell told the Daily Mail that this was likely because the non-drinkers surveyed were former alcohol-consumers.

“These abstainers are often older people who gave up alcohol because their health was bad,” he explained. “Being able to drink is a sign you are still healthy, not the cause of being in good health. … There are lots of ways these studies give false results that are misinterpreted to mean alcohol is good for you.”

In recent years, medical experts have argued against the idea that regular consumption of alcohol can be beneficial and have encouraged people to reduce their intake of fermented drinks.

In July 2020, for example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s final report on nutrition topics, which advised that men should consume no more than one alcoholic drink per day, down from the previous standard of two drinks a day.

“Therefore, the focus should remain on reducing consumption among those who drink, particularly among those who drink in ways that increase the risk of harms,” the report’s executive summary states.

“The Committee concluded that no evidence exists to relax current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations, and there is evidence to tighten them for men such that recommended limits for both men and women who drink would be [one] drink per day on days when alcohol is consumed.”

Normally when you visit a museum, food and drink are not allowed, but the Museum of Sonoma County is making an exception for its Summer Beer Garden event to coincide with its current exhibit, “On Tap: Sonoma County Hops and the Beer Revolution.”

The museum will transform its sculpture garden into a beer garden from 4-8 p.m. July 20 featuring tastings from Wolf House Brewing, Moonlight Brewing, Lagunitas, Russian River and the Cotati Home Brewers Collective.

There also will be food trucks with food available to purchase.

VIP tickets are $25 and include a special brew tasting and exhibit tour with the museum’s curator, with entry at 4 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 and include 5 p.m. admission.

Purchase and learn more at bit.ly/4cMJJr0. 425 Seventh St., Santa Rosa

After closing production last fall, The Blind Pig Brewery is once again brewing beer in its Champaign brewery. New owner Matt Monahan took over the brewery this May and began brewing right away, starting with batches of the flagship ale U of IPA and a lager. The new owner wants everyone to enjoy The Blind Pig brews again, and he even has plans to open a brand-new taproom adjoining the Market Street brewery and packaging facility. Previously, The Blind Pig’s two Downtown Champaign bars and brewery were one business, but the original owner split them in the sale. The two bars, now called Hounds Court and Hounds Rest, have different owners than the brewery, but they can’t wait to put The Blind Pig beers back on the bar’s tap.

The new owner Monahan hired a team to bring The Blind Pig beers back: Lawrence Bolton and B.J. McCabe. McCabe used to work at The Blind Pig, and Monahan met Bolton as members in C-U’s organization for homebrewing aficionados BUZZ Club; the new owner calls Bolton the best homebrewer he knows. I sat down with three to learn about the new iteration of The Blind Pig Brewery.

Smile Politely: How’s production going? What were the first beers you made as a new owner?

Matt Monahan: Right now, we’re in distribution only. We’re in all the spots we were selling cans before. We’ll have U of IPA at football games this fall at the stadium. All the production is for cans distribution. People can already find U of IPA at Binny’s, Schnucks, and some other places. Soon, we’ll package a batch of pilsner and another batch, a bigger batch, of U of IPA. The next batch will be the batch that will be half cans and half kegs.

Currently, we’re only making the best hits. Please be patient with us until we get a taproom going, and we can make the lesser known one-hit wonders. We’re anxious to put our own twists on the beers, but our twist right now is quality, repeatability for the beers, getting the freshest grains and hops into the beer, and bringing practices up to date with the modern brewing practices of today.

SP: Let’s circle back to a taproom?! That’s cool. When do you anticipate The Blind Pig taproom to open?

Monahan: I hope to have the taproom before the end of the year. And hopefully with a kitchen and a menu that appeals to everyone including young families and kids. We’re here in the center of it all here in Downtown Champaign, and we want to be an attractive place for people to start their night or end their night or hang out.

We want a cool experience, a taproom where people can see into the brewery. There’s two excellent breweries in the area, and we want to complete the triangle. There needs to be a brewery in Champaign; there needs to be The Blind Pig. We couldn’t fathom The Blind Pig going away. We need it back and better than ever.

SP: When do you think The Blind Pig’s beers will be on tap in Downtown Champaign?

B.J. McCabe: It depends, but it could be out in restaurants or bars by next weekend. The beers currently in process are the U of IPA, the coffee stout, raspberry wheat, Blind Pig reserve, Blue pilsner, and tomorrow, we’re brewing Oktoberfest. They’ll hit shelves next month.

Lawrence Bolton: We’re picking up the coffee from Columbia Street Roastery next week for the coffee stout. We want to deliver the same quality beer that everyone expects from The Blind Pig.

SP: I need to know: what’s your Blind Pig brew?

Monahan: All of them! [laughs] But if I had to pick one, the U of IPA.

Bolton: Blue pils, but the U of IPA is really good, too. I like West Coast IPAs over hazy.

McCabe: My favorite is the seasonal Christmas beer Buddy Christmas. It has coffee in it, and it’s a bigger stout with lactose.

For more updates on the brewery, follow The Blind Pig on Facebook.

The Blind Pig Brewery
505 N Market St
Champaign

Food + Drink Editor / /

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Jason Thompson and Donnie Eichar are the co-founders of Rancho West, a Malibu-born premium organic beer brand. They talked to us about all the buzz surrounding their new organic nonalcoholic beer, which is the first USDA-certified organic nonalcoholic beer in the U.S. market. You can find Rancho West across Southern California at Erewhon, Bristol Farms, BevMo, and more. It will also be expanding statewide. For more information, visit RanchoWestBeer.com and follow them on Instagram @RanchoWestBeer. This segment aired on the KTLA 5 Weekend Morning News on July 7, 2024.

According to Forbes, the fast-growing ‘NoLo’ movement (no and low alcohol) is driving the demand for alternatives to alcoholic beverages. It’s fortunate that we’re here with a much-loved spring mocktail for the millennials and Gen-Z’s who are generally drinking less. Data-approved! Buzz60’s Chloe Hurst highlights…

Beer and hot dogs are as patriotic as it gets. But when you open the cooler at your summer barbecue, you could be seeing fewer brews, with alternatives like spiked seltzers, canned cocktails, and hard teas stealing their space.

You can attribute this trend to the younger generation: The youngest cohort of legal-aged drinkers from Gen Z, which covers the ages from 21 to 26, are “drinking completely differently than any other generation we’ve seen before,” according to NIQ’s Kaleigh Theriault.

“They’re relatively new to their drinking, and when they are choosing alcohol, they are leaning toward those flavor-forward categories,” Theriault, an associate director of beverage alcohol thought leadership at the consumer intelligence company, told CNN.

Corona is hoping to attract Gen Z drinkers with its new “Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza” beer.

Beverages created by smaller companies are controlling the landscape. E. & J. Gallo Winery’s High Noon dominates the spirit-based cocktail category; White Claw from Mark Anthony Brands remains the top-selling spiked seltzer; and newer entrants, including punchier drinks that mix liquor with an iced tea or lemonade such as Surfside, a two-year-old brand, are rapidly gaining ground.

That’s a problem for Big Beer, which is dealing with flat sales, declining volume and a fickle generation of younger drinkers who are completely ditching the bottle or preferring anything but a regular beer.

In response, Miller Lite-maker Molson Coors Beverage Company, Modelo-brewer Constellation Brands and heavyweight Anheuser-Busch InBev are among the larger brewers expanding beyond beer and diversifying their portfolio with flavorful concoctions.

Fruit, in particular, has been a focus area because “it’s something that the consumer seems to be drawn to right now and they want to drink something really good,” Theriault said. “Those flavors offer that.”

Constellation turned to TikTok for inspiration for its newest beer, which is lightly based on the “Corona Sunrise” cocktail — a mixture of tequila, a Corona, orange juice, grenadine, plus a splash of lime juice. It has taken off on the video-sharing app, with the most-watched tutorial racking up nearly 14 million views.

Since it’s unlawful to sell a beer mixed with a spirit, Corona spun up its own version to hopefully appeal to younger drinkers: the “Sunbrew Citrus Cerveza,” which is brewed with orange and lime peels and blended with the same juices and mixed with a Corona Extra to mirror the sweet flavor of the cocktail counterpart.

“This new brew was created with the flavor-seeking Gen Z audience in mind, a group of drinkers known for their experimentation and mixing,” noted Saúl Trejo, director of brand marketing at Corona, in a press release. For now, the drink is only available in the northeastern US before possibly expanding nationwide depending on sales.

Sunbrew fits into Constellation’s portfolio with a few other Gen Z-angled beverages like Fresca Mixed and its malt-based beverages, Corona Refresca and Modelo Spiked Aguas Frescas, both of which also have fruity flavors and are selling well for the company.

TikTok has also influenced Molson Coors for one of its newest boozy beverages called “Happy Thursday.” The shtick? It’s a non-carbonated drink because “bloating that may come from carbonation is considered a top barrier” for younger drinkers and the trend of “decarbonizing” drinks is blowing up on the app.

The “smooth, bubble-free” drink comes in four fruit flavors, including strawberry and black cherry, and also meets another need for Gen Z since it’s low in alcohol content at 4.4% by volume. It also has bright packaging designed to “pop on social media,” the brewer notes.

Launched less than three months ago, sales and distribution are both growing and feedback has been “extremely positive” for Happy Thursday, the company said on its blog. The company could shed more light on its sales during its next earnings report in August.

Happy Thursday fits into the company’s strategy that began in 2019 when Molson Coors tweaked its name to encompass its growing portfolio of beverages besides beer. That now includes hard iced tea, energy drinks and its Simply Spiked lineup. Last year, it acquired Blue Run Spirits, a cult favorite high-end bourbon and rye whiskey brand, in light of US spirit sales surpassing beer sales.

“Suppliers, in order to stay relevant, have to evolve and follow where the consumer is trending — and right now the consumer wants flavor,” NIQ’s Theriault said about their pivots. “Innovation is really important in the alcohol industry and ensuring that innovation is tied to the consumer trends is what’s right for business.”

Canned cocktails and spirits-based beverages have also helped Anheuser-Busch’s bottom line in the US, especially in light of the collapsing sales of Bud Light. Its aptly titled “Beyond Beer” category is currently a $1.5 billion part of its global business and is helping attract younger, legally aged drinkers.

NÜTRL, a flavorful lineup of vodka seltzers, and Cutwater Spirits canned cocktails are two standouts. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told CNN that Cutwater, which has a collection of canned rum mai tais, vodka mules and tequila palomas, has “steadily grown dollar sales double digits for five consecutive years” and jumped an additional 23% in sales this year.

Still, it’s not all rosy for Anheuser-Busch, especially if a drink has the Bud Light name attached. Bud Light Seltzer sales are down 50%, according to trade publication Brewbound, outpacing a larger decline in malt-based seltzers as drinkers shift toward spirit-based drinks. The company launched a new advertising campaign in 2023 just a few weeks before the Dylan Mulvaney controversy derailed its parent brand’s sales.

Despite younger drinkers’ hesitance with buying beer and flat sales, Big Beer companies aren’t facing an existential threat. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, according to one expert.

“Young drinkers can now find just about any kind of drink in just about any kind of flavor practically whenever they want, and they get to choose from the most diverse collection of beverages that has ever existed — with and without alcohol,” Bryan Roth, an analyst for Feel Goods Company and editor of the alcohol beverage newsletter, Sightlines+, told CNN.

“These long-tenured and often historic companies are adapting to the market. What makes it particularly exciting is that consumers are more often leading the way,” he added.

The media is having a hard time nailing down the financial vibes of the youngest generation of consumers—Gen Z. You might see Gen Z described as financially unsure and insecure, knee deep in debt or even more spendy and carefree than the avocado toast generation that preceded them.

Despite the commentary, however, Experian data shows that by and large, Generation Z’s debt is increasing at the same rate as other generations’. As part of our ongoing review of consumer debt and credit in the United States, Experian took a look at the leading edge of Generation Z, who were between 18 and 26 years old in the third quarter (Q3) 2023. This analysis lays out some of the facts from aggregated Experian data, along with some context, to explain what’s happening in the wallets of younger consumers.

Gen Z isn’t falling into more debt than others, according to Experian data. Nor are comparisons to millennials at their age particularly apt, as 15 years ago the economic and credit landscape (both still reeling from the Great Recession) meant a different experience for both borrowers and lenders than what consumers face in the 2020s. Now, inflation and cost of living are contributing to increased debt balances—for Gen Z as well as for all consumers.

For some types of consumer debt, Gen Z balances are about half that of the overall consumer population. Even average student loan balances, a category you might think the youngest generation must have more of than other cohorts, is only half the U.S. average. (Think about how long and expensive grad school can be to explain the difference.)

It’s the big-ticket items, including a car and a house, that Gen Z can’t dodge. Among young consumers with an auto loan, the average balance of $20,305 is similar to the $23,792 national average. And among the few members of Generation Z who’ve recently bought their (presumably) first home, they’re carrying nearly as much mortgage debt as other homeowners.

The average FICO Score among Generation Z was 680 in Q3 2023. While this score puts them 35 points short of the national average credit score of 715, it lands them in the “good” FICO Score range, which starts at 670.

There’s no evidence, and little reason, to expect that one generation is more or less responsible with their credit than others, and that includes Generation Z. Factors that could cause average credit scores to drop are largely economically driven, and right now unemployment rates have been at or near the record low rates: less than 5% in nearly every state, and 3.9% nationwide. Unless unemployment rates somehow impact one generation more than another—extremely unlikely—there’s no reason to expect that one generation will zig while all the other zag.

However, that’s not to say the economic challenges each generation faces are the same—far from it. FICO Scores are a measure to assess risk, but not wealth.

As of Q3 2023, 86% of Gen Z consumers who have a credit score have at least one credit card, according to Experian data. And they’re beginning to use some of the credit extended to them.

Although inflation contributed to higher balances for U.S. consumers of all ages, the year-over-year increase is typically going to be greater for those starting from zero, as many Gen Zers obtaining their first credit card are doing. Even so, Generation Z’s balances grew just as much as other working-age consumers—millennials and Generation X. Consumers of any age who manage their credit responsibly can expect their credit limits to increase over time.

Gen Zers in the more populous states of California, New York and Texas carry higher credit card balances than others. And as rent continues to rise, it’s taking a larger bite of take-home income.

At least drivers have more selection in choosing their ride, as used car prices are falling, inventory levels are mostly back to normal, and dealers are offering incentives like low-cost financing for some new models.

A glance in the rear-view mirror, however, shows that car loans recently made are costing consumers more across the board. Car prices, and the cost of the attendant car loans often used to purchase vehicles, have still increased for all consumers in the past year, more or less equally across all generations.

Generation Z will need all the savings they can get, however, as auto insurance premiums continue to skyrocket. Insurance rates climbed more than 22% in the past year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and inexperienced younger drivers are generally the costliest to insure.

Although more members of Generation Z are pursuing the trades, more than half of Gen Z have entered the realm of higher education, according to Pew Research data. And compared with other generations, Generation Z student debt is much smaller thus far. That will change in the upcoming years, as some continue advanced degree studies, a more costly education than pursuing an undergraduate degree.

Most Gen Z borrowers planning to pursue advanced degrees have yet to enter a program or complete their graduate studies. Graduate-level education is often more expensive and can result in more student loan debt than undergraduate education, with borrowers typically not on track to begin to repay until their late 20s or early 30s.

While the average student loan balances of Generation Z are expected to increase in the future, these consumers will have more tools to manage monthly payments from the very start of their repayments, unlike other generations before them. Once fully implemented, it’s expected that a combination of income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs for public service will help ease the burdens of education debt.

The way consumers spend their hard-earned money is changing for everyone, not just for Generation Z. (When’s the last time you wrote a check?) However, Gen Z is more keen than others to embrace electronic payments as well as new types of alternative credit that’s been cracked open by technological advances like buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans.

Generation Z is associated the most with BNPL, but their older brothers and sisters may be catching up. According to alternative credit provider Afterpay, three-quarters of both Gen Zers and millennials reported using buy now, pay later in the past month, versus only about half of Generation X.

Although some among the youngest consumer generation have bought a home of their own in the past couple years, mortgage payments are as high for them as they are for older recent homebuyers who likely have more discretionary income.

More likely, they rent. Some 70% of all rental households are millennials or Gen Z, according to Experian’s State of the U.S. Rental market report. Rental prices—where most young people first begin their financial journeys—are still increasing faster than the rate of overall inflation in most markets. One consequence: More young adults live with their parents or others (roommates) than they did 30 years ago, according to data collected by the Urban Institute.

As for Gen Z homeowners, many are facing additional challenges relative to other homeowners: higher borrowing costs. Nearly half are paying more than 5% annually in interest. Besides the larger monthly mortgage payments this implies, it also means that equity accumulates more slowly for these homeowners than others.

There is an upside, though. If mortgage rates fall far enough, there will be a ready-made market of Gen Zers willing to refinance their mortgages, activity that’s barely occurring today.

While mortgage rates and few homes to choose from are placing homeownership out of reach for many, regardless of age, reporting rental payments to credit bureaus could help a renter’s credit score in the meantime. As Generation Z are the generation most likely to rent, as well as most likely in need to thicken their credit file and potentially improve their credit score, having rents reported to credit bureaus is perhaps more important for those just starting on their financial journeys. Alas, adoption among property owners has been slow, and smaller landlords may not be as likely to report on time payments to credit bureaus.

If there’s one myth to bust about young people, it’s that they’re forever optimistic. According to a survey recently published by consultancy Deloitte, more than half of Gen Z report living paycheck to paycheck, and only 1 in 3 say the overall economic and social situation will improve in the coming year—a polite way of saying most don’t think things are getting better anytime soon.

Methodology: The analysis results provided are based on an Experian-created statistically relevant aggregate sampling of our consumer credit database that may include use of the FICO Score 8 version. Different sampling parameters may generate different findings compared with other similar analysis. Analyzed credit data did not contain personal identification information. Metro areas group counties and cities into specific geographic areas for population censuses and compilations of related statistical data.

This story was produced by Experian and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.

According to Forbes, the fast-growing ‘NoLo’ movement (no and low alcohol) is driving the demand for alternatives to alcoholic beverages. Luck…

Retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan promotes his new beer, Real American Beer. He will be visiting St. Louis in July to further advertise the beverage. Video courtesy of Hulk Hogan.

Hulk Hogan co-founded Real American Beer, which is now available in Missouri.

Hulk Hogan already sells an array of products bearing his name or likeness: Hulkmania onesies, replica championship wrestling belts, and bright yellow bandanas emblazoned with “Hulk Still Rules.”

Now, he’s selling a beer, and Missouri stores are among the first to carry it.

Real American Beer is a way, Hogan said, to bring “America back together one beer at a time.”

Hogan said he saw an opportunity to enter the beer industry when Bud Light lost consumers over a 2023 marketing partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney that sparked a boycott by conservatives upset by the LGBTQ connection, and tanked sales.

“I see this open lane right now,” Hogan said. “This open lane is saying, ‘We’re American and America’s been waiting for this beer.’”

Industry experts, however, warn that breaking into the beer market isn’t easy, and celebrity-based products often don’t have a long shelf-life. The Real American Beer marketing leans heavily on Hogan’s personality and popularity.

Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, rose to fame as a powerful larger-than-life professional wrestler in the 1980s, and frequently competed in St. Louis. He’s a 12-time world champion and has appeared in movies, TV shows, commercials, and a video game. He was inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame but was suspended for three years after recordings of him making racist comments surfaced. He apologized and was reinstated in 2018.

Real American Beer is currently rolling out to retailers, restaurants, and bars across the state before making a wider national rollout. And though consumers are turning away from beer overall, Terri Francis, Real American Beer CEO, said they believe the product can bring drinkers back to light beer.

Live in FL, MN or MO? Find Real American Beer near you with our new Beer Finder! 🍺📍https://t.co/0TvAnuAR5X

Get some, brother. pic.twitter.com/sFRngkrsIN

“There is plenty of space in the market to grow the beer industry,” said Francis, a former vice president of the investment and innovation group within Anheuser-Busch InBev. “What we would love to be able to say is that we were able to bring people back to the category.”

Dave Williams, president of Bump Williams Consulting, which analyzes the alcoholic beverage industry, said he’s heard of a few beer brands that have popped up in the wake of the initial Bud Light stumble, but none have made a notable splash in terms of size, presence or increased competition. 

“It is certainly an uphill battle for anyone looking to take a brand like Bud (Light) head on,” Dave Williams said. 

Bump Williams Consulting CEO David “Bump” Williams called Hogan’s “open lane” sentiment wishful thinking, given the scale needed to challenge a global brand like Bud Light. And, generally speaking, he said, celebrity products risk running aground if the brand relies too much on the personal association instead of building a solid business plan. 

Real American Beer will be available in 21 states by the end of summer, Francis, the CEO, said.

Hogan said his goal is for Real American Beer to become an industry leader that will eventually grow into a beverage company with things like non-alcoholic options.

“It’s middle America, it’s NASCAR, it’s wrestling, it’s country western, it’s purple mountains majesty, it’s the American flag. It’s God, it’s country — all of the above is what America is all about,” Hogan said.

Hogan will be in St. Louis on July 19 to promote Real American Beer. St. Louis was a significant player in the rise of WWE, often hosting championship events and airing television programs like Wrestling at the Chase via the St. Louis Wrestling Club.

Hogan said he remembers wrestling at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel as “insanity.”

“All the great wrestlers would come to St. Louis once a month and if you were on the card in St. Louis it was like being in Madison Square Garden,” he said. “If you got the opportunity to wrestle in St. Louis, that meant you were really something and you made it.”

Hogan said he is excited to return to St. Louis and meet his Hulkamaniacs. And he’s glad he doesn’t have to fight anyone.

“Usually, when I’m coming there I land at the airport and I’ll go check in at the Marriott hotel or something by the airport. Then I have to work out. I have to go wrestle,” Hogan said.

“But this time, it’s almost like I’m on vacation because I don’t have to get kicked in the head, I don’t have to work out and all I have to do is meet my friends, so I’m just really excited.”

Hannah Wyman – 314-340-8330

hwyman@post-dispatch.com

Retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan promotes his new beer, Real American Beer. He will be visiting St. Louis in July to further advertise…

Whether you’re looking for an under-21-friendly option for your Fourth of July barbecue, or you decided to ditch alcohol but still want a soph…