Beer Marketer's Insights - More Drinkers Choosing Craft, But Less Often, BA Poll Shows; Flavor Education to Reach New Folks

Looking for an explanation for craft's volume declines in the last 5-7 years? Consider: in 2019, 45% of craft drinkers said they consumed craft beer at least weekly, more than any other alc bev type, results of annual Harris Poll commissioned by the Brewers Assn shows. By 2025, that slipped to 39%, with craft drinkers more likely to report weekly consumption of wine, spirits, domestic beer and imports, according to latest results shared by BA staff economist Matt Gacioch this wk. Legal age drinkers are more and more omnibibulous, or willing to drink a bit of everything, Matt reminded, using term coined by longtime chief economist and now BA prexy/ceo Bart Watson. But "regular craft consumers themselves have been on a long road toward generalization in their consumption," as well, Matt continued. "While there are more craft drinkers than ever, they are consuming craft less frequently as a percent of their overall alcohol occasions"That's same story Bart highlighted during his state of the industry talk at this yr's CBC, recall: more drinkers, less frequent consumption. And this yr's Harris Poll results point to the same trend. Fully 30% of legal age adults say they drink craft beer at least several times a month now, up 1 pt from last yr, Matt showed. That's still relatively "middle of the pack" among alc bev categories, tho. It's slightly below imports and domestic non-craft beer, 6-8 pts below wine and spirits. Craft ranks just ahead of FMBs, 5 pts ahead of hard seltzers and RTDs and well above the 19% saying hard cider. Notably, despite ongoing fast growth of spirits-based RTDs, the 25% of 21+ adults who said they drink them several times a mo or more is down a pt from last yr.More or Less? Core Drinkers Still Reporting "More" Men aged 35-44 are still the "core craft consumer," Matt showed, with 74% of the group drinking craft at least several times a yr. Among this group, "economics and social factors" seem to be driving any reduction in craft consumption, he explained. Those drinking less craft "cite less disposable income and, perhaps related, a shift to other (cheaper) beer and spirits (with higher alcohol 'bang for the buck')." That said, this core group is still more likely than the overall population to be drinking more craft beer. Among men aged 35-44 who drink craft beer at least several times a yr, 35% said they're drinking more craft than a yr ago, with just 25% drinking less.That's as 23% of all 21+ craft drinkers said they're drinking more craft than a yr ago with 30% drinking less. Folks reducing their craft consumption are more likely to be younger (21-34) and women. But overall, it ain't health or concerns about alcohol causing folks to cut back on craft. Almost 60% of those reporting less craft consumption than a yr ago said it's because they're drinking more of something else. Most other top reasons have decreased in prevalence in recent yrs, Matt showed.Reaching Women and Younger Consumers While 59% of men report drinking craft at least several times a year, just 37% of women say so. There's hope, however. Over half of women aged 21-34 and 35-44 say they drink craft beer this often. But that drops to 39% and 30%, respectively, when asked if they drink craft several times a month or more. Those folks are more likely to be drinking wine, FMBs and hard seltzers, survey results show.What's the barrier? Flavor. The same thing craft drinkers report as the primary reason for drinking craft is what's keeping non-drinkers away. Some 57% of all adults who don't drink craft beer "report not liking the flavor," Matt explained. Asked what flavors they prefer, women are more likely than all adults to seek "fruity," "light" and "bubbly" alc bevs, with a smaller proportion seeking out "botanical." Younger legal-age consumers who don't drink craft are more likely to say that "they don't know enough about craft to make an informed decision," Matt noted. They also cite availability issues more than other groups and seek moderation tactics, like lower alcohol content, non-alc options or smaller formats.Craft also has oppys among older consumers age 55+, he added, who tend to be more focused on flavor, food and health. Ultimately, Matt urges small brewers to refocus on consumer education, especially when it comes to flavor. Since 12% of adults say they don't know how to describe the flavor of craft beer, which "jumps to 24% among those who say they don't drink craft beer because of the flavor."

More Drinkers Choosing Craft, But Less Often, BA Poll Shows; Flavor Education to Reach New Folks

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