Off-premise dollar sales of craft beer declined -3.3%, to more than $4.6 billion, in 2024, according to multi-outlet grocery, mass retail and convenience store data shared by market research firm Circana.
The sales decline amounted to more than $158 million less being spent on craft beer in Circana-tracked channels. Craft finished the year with a total beer dollar share of 10.1%, down -0.29 share points versus 2023.
Volume, measured in case sales, recorded a steeper decline of -4.8%.
Those numbers aren’t a surprise, as leaders with the trade group the Brewers Association said they expect craft volume to be weaker than the midyear estimate of down -2%, marking the second consecutive year of volume decline (-1% volume in 2023), outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Craft’s off-premise sales declines were steepest in its strongest channel, grocery, declining -3.1% in dollars, to more than $2.56 billion last year, Circana reported. That amounted to more than $81 million in lost sales year-over-year (YoY).
Those declines came even as the average case price for craft beer in grocery stores increased +$0.50, to $41.99.
In the convenience channel, dollar sales declined -2.4%, to nearly $1.6 billion, a loss of more than $38.65 million in sales in 2024. The average case price of craft beer in c-stores increased +$0.94, to $47.52.
Volume declined similarly across grocery (-4.2%) and convenience stores (-4.3%) in 2024.
4 of Top 10 Craft Brands Grow Dollars & Volume; New Belgium’s Top 2 Craft Brands Grow
Looking at the top 30 craft brands, four of the top 10 posted growth in multi-outlet and convenience stores tracked by Circana.
Two of those brands belonged to Kirin-owned New Belgium: No. 2 Voodoo Ranger imperial IPA (+4.5% dollars, to more than $179.2 million; +2.4% volume) and No. 3 Voodoo Ranger Juice Force hazy imperial IPA (+17.7% dollars, to more than $151.3 million; +15.9% volume). Those brands hold 3.89% (+0.29 share points) and 3.28% (+0.59 share points) share, respectively, of craft beer dollar sales.
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA held the No. 4 spot and increased dollar sales +7.6%, to more than $123.29 million, and volume +6.3% in its sixth year.
The only non-IPA brand to grow within the top 10 was Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned Kona Big Wave golden ale at No. 8. Big Wave posted double-digit sales and volume growth (+14.9% each).
The rest of the top top 10 declined, including the top-selling craft beer overall: Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Belgian White.
Blue Moon’s dollar sales declined -4.1%, to more than $256.9 million, and volume decreased -6.1% in Circana-tracked channels.
Blue Moon maintained a more than $77.7 million edge on the second best-selling craft brand, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA. Blue Moon holds a 5.57% share of craft beer dollars. The gap is greatest in the grocery channel where Blue Moon posted more than $120.956 million in sales (-1.4%) compared to Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA’s more than $57.7 million in sales (+2.3%).
The story is different in convenience, where both Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA (more than $102.156 million in sales, +5.8%) and Juice Force (more than $92.59 million, +13.7%) are the No. 1 and No. 2 best-selling craft brands. Blue Moon is No. 3 in c-stores, with more than $87.24 million in sales (-7.8%).
Across all Circana-tracked channels, the rest of the top 10 craft brands in decline included:
- No. 5 Boston Beer-owned Samuel Adams Seasonal: -9.1% dollars, to more than $90 million; -10.7% volume;
- No. 6 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale: -4% dollars, to more than $84.1 million; -7.4% volume;
- No. 7 Gambrinus-owned Shiner Bock: -6.2% dollars, to more than $80.5 million; -6.7% volume;
- No. 9 Molson Coors-owned Leinenkugel’s Shandy: -10.6% dollars, to more than $73.86 million; -13.5% volume;
- No. 10 A-B-owned Elysian Space Dust: -4.8% dollars, to nearly $72 million; -5.1% volume.
Only four other craft bands within the top 30 recorded dollar sales growth in 2024. Among them was Voodoo Ranger Tropic Force, the top-selling new beer brand last year with more than $48.8 million in sales, making it the 15th best-selling craft brand of 2024.
Tropic Force was also the sixth best-selling craft brand in the convenience channel, with more than $32 million in sales last year.
The other three top 30 craft brands posting growth outside of the top 10 included:
- No. 19 A-B-owned Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug DDH Double IPA: +29% dollars, to $36.89 million; +25.1% volume;
- No. 24 A-B-owned Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA: +9.1% dollars, to more than $27.965 million; +7.9% volume;
- No. 29 Georgetown Brewing Bodihizafa IPA: +9.7% dollars, to more than $21.9 million; +7.9% volume.
Several legacy craft brands, seasonals and variety packs within the top 30 craft brands outside of the top 10 posted dollar and volume declines. That included seven brands under the New Belgium banner, two with Heineken-owned Lagunitas and two from Boston Beer:
- No. 11 Heineken-owned Lagunitas IPA: -8% dollars, to nearly $65.5 million; -11.7% volume;
- No. 12 Duvel USA-owned Firestone Walker 805: -4.6% dollars, to more than $61.879 million; -7.1% volume;
- No. 13 Mahou USA-owned Founders All Day IPA: -4.2% dollars, to more than $59.744 million; -4.6% volume;
- No. 14 New Belgium-owned Bell’s Two Hearted IPA: -2.4% dollars, to more than $55.65 million; -3.8% volume;
- No. 16 New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force IPA: -16.2% dollars, to nearly $42 million; -17.5% volume;
- No. 17 Samuel Adams Boston Lager: -10.1% dollars, to more than $41.76 million; -12.5% volume;
- No. 18 Monster Brewing-owned Cigar City Jai Alai IPA: -1.9% dollars, to more than $38.9 million; -2.6% volume;
- No. 20 Molson Coors-owned Blue Moon Light: -5% dollars, to more than $36.66 million; -6.4% volume;
- No. 21 New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Hoppy variety pack: -16.8% dollars, to $32.658 million; -18% volume;
- No. 22 Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale: -9.9% dollars, to more than $30.38 million; -12.8% volume;
- No. 23 New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA: -22.1% dollars, to more than $28.28 million; -23.3% volume;
- No. 25 New Belgium Fat Tire: -28.9% dollars, to more than $27.5 million; -29.8% volume;
- No. 26 Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA: -12.7% dollars, to more than $24.76 million, -15 volume;
- No. 27 New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA: -17% dollars, to more than $23.59 million; -18.2% volume;
- No. 28 Samuel Adams variety pack: -30.2% dollars, to more than $22.8 million; -33.5% volume;
- No. 30 Bell’s seasonal: -9.9% dollars, to more than $20.8 million; -11.3% volume.
Circana does not list non-alcoholic beer maker Athletic Brewing’s beers among the top 30 craft vendors. However, Athletic’s Run Wild IPA’s grocery sales alone would rank it as the No. 25 craft brand in multi-outlet and convenience stores, and as the No. 16 craft brand in grocery stores.
Run Wild IPA posted more than $26.88 million in dollar sales (+48.7% YoY), ranking No. 68 among the top 100 overall beer brands sold in grocery stores. Run Wild’s volume grew +52.9% for full-year 2024.
Upside Dawn golden ranked No. 95, with dollar sales of more $18.9 million (+55.9%), with volume growing +59.4%.
A few other notable craft brands made the top 30 grocery or convenience lists, but not the top 30 overall list.
In convenience, Rhinegeist Truth IPA ranked No. 21, with more than $12.687 million (+8.3% dollars); Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing imperial IPA at No. 22, with more than $12.279 million (-9.8% dollars); Fiddlehead IPA at No. 28, with more than $7.96 million (+11.1% dollars); Tilray Brands’ 10 Barrel Pub Lager at No. 29, with more than $7.9 million (-6.5% dollars).
In grocery, Shiner seasonal and Samuel Adams seasonal overlay cracked the top 30 at No. 27 and No. 28, respectively, each posting more than $11 million in sales.