Each year the Brewers Association (BA) partners with Harris Poll to survey the current thoughts and trends among craft beer consumers. Perhaps more than any year in the past, the survey uncovers some glaring trends which are contributing to the decline in craft beer sales.
Matt Gacioch, staff economist for the Brewers Association sums up the extensive survey in three important takeaways.
First is the increasing number of ‘cross-drinkers’ (the term was first used by Julia Herz, the former Craft Beer Program Director at the Brewers Association and now executive director of the American Homebrewers Association). Two decades ago, most alcohol consumers were either a beer drinker, a wine drinker or a spirit’s drinker. Very few consumers crossed between the categories. That slowly began to change, and today’s consumers are much more likely to drink multiple categories both in social gatherings and at home. This pattern change has dipped into the sales of beer more than wine and spirits.
The second takeaway is that beer consumers are simply drinking less overall. The poll shows that there are actually more craft beer consumers than ever before – but they are drinking less. According to the poll, in 2015 81% consumed craft beer several times a month or more often. In 2024, that figure has dropped to 62% who drink craft at that same frequency. More people drinking less = less overall.
The third takeaway that Matt points out is that flavor does indeed matter. The poll shows that 92% of the general population list flavor as the primary driver in making drinking decisions. This applies to all alcohol, not just beer. For beer, consumers were most interested in crisp, juicy/hazy, and fruity beers and less likely to buy tart, spicy, and dark beer flavors. A BeverageWorld article describes the beverage trends for this summer, which includes fresh, ‘swicy’ (sweet and spicy), RTD’s and low and no alcohol.
As the craft brewing industry becomes more competitive, it behooves brewers to pay attention to the evolving consumer trends and tastes. You can find a link to the full BA/Harris results here and a video recap here.