New Gallup Poll Shows Beer's Lead Over Wine, Spirits is Back to Double-Digits; Shift Most Evident Among Adults Ages 30-49, Back to Beer After Trying Wine
ST. LOUIS, July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- According to a new Gallup
poll, beer's lead over wine and spirits has returned to double-digits for the
first time since 2002, particularly among adults between the ages of 30 and 49
who tried wine for a few years then shifted back to beer.
The annual Consumption Habits poll, released Friday through Gallup's Web
site, shows that in combined data from Gallup's 2004 and 2005 Consumption
surveys, drinkers between the ages of 30 and 49 were about as likely to prefer
wine as beer. Now, drinkers in this age bracket have shifted back to beer,
with an average of 47 percent in the combined 2007-2008 data saying they most
often drink beer. Drinking preferences among adults ages 21-29 have remained
stable in recent years, with the majority showing a wide preference for beer.
'This poll shows what we've always known -- that trends will come and go
but beer is here to stay,' said Bob Lachky, executive vice president, Global
Industry and Creative Development for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. (NYSE: BUD) and
leader of 'Here's To Beer,' a two-year-old campaign that toasts Americans'
appreciation for beer. 'More Americans are learning -- or re-learning -- how
to appreciate the wide variety of beer styles available and how easy it is to
pair beer with all types of food, which is also attracting new adult consumers
to the beer category.'
Beer continues to represent the largest segment in the alcohol beverage
category in volume and dollar sales, accounting for 56 percent of all alcohol
beverage servings. The Anheuser-Busch-led 'Here's To Beer' campaign was
launched to help consumers develop a deeper appreciation for beer while
providing tools for retailers and distributors to grow their beer business.
The campaign re-launched its Web site -- http://www.herestobeer.com -- in
April 2008 with enhanced interactive tools to help consumers learn about
beer's ingredients, styles, the brewing process, the importance of proper
pouring and glassware, and how to pair beer with food. The Web site also
offers expert tips for food-pairing with videos featuring Food Network
personality and cookbook author Dave Lieberman.
HTBMarketing.com, the 'members only' site for beer wholesalers, provides
downloadable sign making and point-of-sale templates to create attractive
in-store materials to elevate and enhance the beer aisle. Beyond the more
than 600 wholesalers in the Anheuser-Busch network, an additional 350 members
from the ranks of competitive brewers and non A-B wholesalers are also
registered members.
'Here's To Beer' also sponsors the annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage
Festival in Forest Park. The festival is quickly becoming a must-attend event
for beer industry leaders and enthusiasts, where more than 70 styles of beers
were sampled from Anheuser-Busch and local craft brewers. The festival drew
15,000 people at its inaugural event in 2007 and this year drew 20,000 people
from across the country.
SOURCE Anheuser-Busch
