US craft volumes enjoy 7% uplift

Craft beer: 700,000 more barrels sold last year

Craft beer sales value froths up by 10%

Sales of US craft beer frothed up to the $7 billion mark last year while overall beer sales continued to lose their fizz, according to a stateside trade body.

Sales revenue for brewers of less than 2 million barrels a year rose by 10.3% while craft beer volumes fizzed up by 7.2%, or almost 700,000 barrels, on 2008’s figures, said the Brewers’ Association (BA).

Meanwhile total beer sales in the US, the world’s second largest market after China, slipped from 210.4 million barrels to 205.8 million.

“Americans have an increasing appreciation of craft beers, and the growing number of brewers behind them,” said BA director Paul Gatza. The number of craft brewers grew from 1,485 in 2008, to 1,542 last year.

In 2009 craft brewers accounted for just 4.4% of US volumes but 6.9% of the total value of the US beer market, which is estimated to be around $101 billion.

And craft beer’s slice of the action is set to get bigger, according to the BA. The body cited the National Restaurant Association's suggestion that locally produced beer and wine will be a top five trend to watch this year.

Growing demand for craft beer is mirrored across the Atlantic in the UK. Last year the country’s smaller, independent brewers enjoyed a volume increase of 3.75% and a 17% hike in turnover.