Breaking: Light Beer Doesn't Taste Good

Today in "news that surprises no one," people are drinking less and less of the light beers that have long ruled the beer market, because they're finding that they don't taste as good. 

AdAge cites the ConsumerEdge Insights' Beverage DemandTracker, "a periodic survey of U.S. adults who consume alcohol at least once a week," which found that 27 percent were drinking less light beer because they were "tired" of the taste, while 21 percent were drinking "more types of beer." We can only assume that means that craft beer is making stronger and stronger gains (again, to no one's surprise). Fewer and fewer people now say that "light beer tastes great," 30 percent in the last survey, compared to 33 percent in June 2012. 

Is the light beer segment in trouble? The president of Consumer Edge Insight, David Decker, told AdAge that it might be. "After a long period when these domestic premium light brands dominated the U.S. beer industry, many beer drinkers, particularly younger ones, are finding that they prefer the stronger and more varied tastes of imports and craft beers instead," he said. "This suggests that the recent weakness in share trends for the big premium light flagship brands is likely to continue." Well, at least we know that there are better tasting, "light" craft beers on the market. 

Of course, that doesn't mean that the big brewers are hurting by the switch from light beers to other beers. In its latest quarterly report earnings, Anheuser-Busch InBev revealed that its increased profits came from price hikes and a push to "premium" beers, such as the Bud Light Platinum and margarita-flavored Bud Light Lime Lima-a-Rita. Despite beer consumption dropping slightly this summer by 1.2 percent, global revenue for Anheuser-Busch In-Bev rose 3.9 percent. Meanwhile, America's best-selling craft brewery, Boston Beer Company, is also seeing increased profits.