Information Resources, a Chicago company that tracks the sale of beer, has announced that sales of craft beer in America rose 16.7% (from $493 million in 2006 to $575 million in 2007) in 2007, marking the second straight year of double-digit increases.
So, what regions saw the greatest increases? The Great Lakes Region — which includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio — had a 28.1% increase in sales from $54.4 million in 2006 to $69.6 million in 2007. Sales for the Great Lakes states have more than doubled since 2003.
Meanwhile, the Southeast Region — which includes Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida — saw the largest increase in sales, up 31.6% to $41 million in 2007.
The fact that sales were up so much in ’07 despite the announcement of a hops shortage at the end of the year and economic hardships all year long is great news for the future of the Good Beer Movement in the U.S. Keep it up!
“Craft beer sales rise in 2007” [Wisconsin State Journal]
[tags]beer, craft beer, hops, sales[/tags]
Comments
I’m surprised that the Southeast saw such a large amount of growth in craft beers. The beer selection in Alabama sucks.