A just-released study finds 94% of those surveyed say they are drinking more craft beer now than last year and 91% say they prefer craft beer over Big Beer.
Taste, quality and craft beer culture are just about tied when respondents were asked what they believe is driving craft beer’s growth. Fifty percent say they prefer to drink craft beer in the summer, 31% said they hadn’t a preference, and the remainder was split pretty evenly between fall, winte4r and spring.
Almost half drink craft beer at least once a week. Perhaps even more surprising is that nearly all say they drank craft beer at least once within the last month. On average, respondents said they spend about $59 per month on craft beer. Males typically spend about $7 more than the average and females spend about $50 per month.
What is it about craft beer that is so appealing? Respondents said taste and quality were by far the biggest factors separating craft beer from big beer brands. In fact, 91% said they prefer craft beer over big brand beer and 86% said they would pay more for the craft beer of their preference, even if cheaper options were available.
According to our poll, 43% of Millennials said they visit a brewpub or brewery at least once per month and spend about $63 a month on craft beer per month. (So much for that avocado toast budget!). There’s also a good chance they’ll be sipping on an IPA, which is the generation’s preferred style of beer.
The study was conducted by C+R Research, 500 North Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 828-9200