The latest estimate from the Beer Institute puts beer shipments at 15,041,000 barrels in May, down from 15,263,578 barrels a year earlier. But consumer spending on domestic beer increased about 0.3%.
Beer Institute said May’s volume decline can be mostly explained by the difference in average temperatures across the country. May 2018 was among the warmest in U.S. history while May 2019 was among the coolest.
Domestic FMBs, including hard seltzers, continued to show growth, BI said, gaining nearly a share point among domestic beer brands in May.
Through May 31, U.S. tax-paid shipments were down 0.7% to 67,002,000 barrels.