Craft Beers Hot … Everywhere
Jacksonville, Houston and Miami supermarkets stocking up.
The growth of craft beer is one of the hottest beer industry trends going. And one of the most striking things about it is how it’s truly a national, as opposed to regional, trend.
Supermarkets in 93 percent of all measured markets reported higher craft beer sales so far this year, according to beer industry analysis by Nielsen.
Indeed, even non-traditional markets such as Jackonville, Fla., Houston and Miami have seen big increases in the number of craft beer items on store shelves.
For example, the average Jacksonville supermarkets carries 18.6 craft beer items – 6.2 more items than a year ago, according to Nielsen’s beer market analysis. Houston supermarkets carry 26.8 items, an increase of 7.8 items. Miami stores carry 16.6 items, up 6.6 items.
As for what crafts sold the best: in Jacksonville the two top sellers were Blue Moon Belgian White Ale and Sam Adams Boston Lager; in Miami it was Sam Adams and Blue Moon; and in Houston it was Shiner Bock and Shiner Blond.
Jay Brookston, of the Brookston Beer Bulletin, recently noted the Southeast showed the greatest craft growth of any region. Read it here.
it's about time in the south! craft beer wasteland of the USA. with state ABV cap laws being repealed or adjested upward in states across the south, we should soon be seeing the "hot" beers soon, down in dixie.
Posted by: jim kube | March 12, 2008 at 05:10 AM