The final Circana beer report for 2023 has arrived and it’s time to see how the category and its segments fared in scans, starting with a look at craft.
Of note: Circana includes craft brands owned by large manufacturers in its craft data set. It should also be noted that scan data is only a snapshot of a segment’s performance, and does not include on-premise dollar sales, at-the-brewery sales or other channels beyond grocery and c-store.
Craft finished 2023 with dollar sales down -0.9%, with more than $4.71 billion in sales year-to-date (YTD) through December 31 in multi-outlet plus convenience channels. The decline was in spite of an average price per case increase of $1.50, to $42.62. The decline was also significantly smaller than the -4.4% YoY decline recorded in 2022 and -4.6% decline in 2021.
By comparison, total beer dollar sales increased +2.6%, while the average price per case increased by $1.28, to $29.89.
Craft volume, measured by case sales, declined -4.4%, with a loss of more than 5 million cases. The decline was significantly larger than the -1.7% decline recorded by total beer, but smaller than the -8.6% craft volume decline recorded in 2022.
In the final four weeks of 2023, craft dollar sales declined -1.3% year-over-year (YoY) and volume declined -2.6%. In the last 12 weeks, dollar sales were down -1.5% and volume was down -3%.
Craft’s share of total beer dollars in 2023 declined -0.37 share points, to 10.3%, continuing to fall after declining -0.61 share points in 2022, to 10.63%. Craft’s share of total beer volume declined -0.2 share points, to 7.22%. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs), which increased volume share +0.93 share points in 2023, to 7.12%, are now nipping at the heels of craft for the fourth largest share of beer volume.
In the convenience channel – the strongest growth channel for beer – craft dollar sales increased +4.5%, to more than $1.63 billion. Overall beer growth in the channel was even larger (+5.2%).
Four beer segments outpaced overall beer in the channel: Imports (+15.1%), FMBs (+19.1%), hard cider (+7.6%) and non-alcoholic (+28.2%). Domestic sub-premium (+1.6%) and domestic super premium (+0.2%) were also in the black, while dollar sales for domestic premium (-1.6%), hard seltzer (-6.2%) and assorted (-73.9%) all declined.
Imports recorded the largest increase in share of beer dollar sales, claiming an additional 2.27 share points for 26.19% share, just below No. 1 shareholder domestic premiums (-1.8 share points, to 26.38%).
Craft volume was also in the black, increasing +0.7% versus 2022, above channel trends for overall beer (-0.4%).
The average price per case of craft beer increased by $1.70, to $46.51, slightly above total beer price increases (+$1.67, to $31.66). Craft is the second most expensive beer segment in c-stores behind hard cider (+$2.78, to $50.56), passing assorted, which declined its average case price by $17, to $45.67.
Craft’s share of total beer sales in the channel declined -0.04 share points, to 6.31%. However, craft’s share of c-store beer volume increased +0.05 share points, to 4.3%. Still, the segment has a small share of the pie, with less share than the majority of beer segments other than hard cider (0.36%), NA (0.15%) and assorted (less than 0.01%).
In grocery, craft dollar sales declined -3.3%, to nearly $2.6 billion. Craft’s share of total beer sales in grocery declined -0.43 share points, to 19.63%, falling to the No. 3 largest share in the channel. Imports overtook craft for the No. 2 spot, increasing dollar sales +6.4% in the channel, to nearly $2.73 billion, and share of beer dollars +1.49 share points, to 20.61%. Domestic premiums maintained the No. 1 spot, despite a -1.8% decline in dollar sales, with 23.08% share of beer dollars in the channel.
Craft volume took a large hit in grocery, declining -6.3%, marking a loss of more than 4.2 million cases. Price per case in the channel increased by $1.29, to $41.49. Craft is the third most expensive beer segment in grocery, behind hard cider (+$1.47 YoY, to $48.39) and assorted (+$1.89, to $46.76).
Craft case share in grocery declined by -0.29 share points, to 13.92%, maintaining the third largest share of beer volume in the channel behind domestic premiums (-0.41 share points, to 30.45% share) and imports (+1.42 share points, to 17.95%). Domestic sub-premium isn’t too far behind, increasing its own share by 0.23 share points in 2023, to 13.33%.
How Other Segments Fared in Overall Scans
Five beer segments recorded dollar sales growth in 2023 in multi-outlet plus convenience channels: Imports (+11.8%), domestic sub-premiums (+2%), FMBs (+17%), hard cider (+1.7%) and non-alcoholic (NA) beer (+29.3%).
Three segments also gained share of total beer dollars:
- Imports (+1.96 share points, to 24.05%);
- FMBs (+1.17 share points, to 9.53%);
- NA (+0.16 share points, to 0.79%).
Of the five beer segments to record declines, craft had the smallest dollar sales loss YoY, followed by domestic premiums (-1.2%), domestic super premiums (-1.5%), hard seltzer (-13.6%) and assorted (-20.2%).
Imports (+7.9%), FMBs (+13%) and NA (+19.7%) were the only segments to increase volume in 2023 versus 2022. Assorted beer recorded the largest decline (-23.4%), followed by hard seltzers (-18.2%), domestic premium (-4.9%), craft (-4.4%), domestic super premium (-3.6%) and hard cider (-2.3%).
Imports recorded the largest beer volume share gain (+1.76 share points, to 19.65%), while hard seltzer recorded the largest share loss (-1.21 share points, to 6%).
New Belgium and Bell’s Claim 9 Craft Top 30 Spots
Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Belgian White is still the No. 1 craft brand in Circana-tracked channels, despite continued losses. The brand recorded a -3.2% decline in dollar sales, to nearly $267.9 million, and -6.9% decline in volume in 2023. It was the third consecutive year of dollar sales decline for Blue Moon, following losses in 2022 (-1.3%) and 2021 (-8.5%).
The No. 2 best-selling craft brand was once again Kirin-owned New Belgium Brewing’s Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA, which increased dollar sales +12.4%, to $171.37 million, and volume +7.9%. Voodoo Ranger Juice Force hazy imperial IPA was No. 3 after only its second year in the market, increasing dollar sales +75.4%, to nearly $128.36 million, and volume +75.1%.
No. 4 Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA (+7.5%) and No. 9 Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Elysian Space Dust IPA (+0.3%) were the only other top 10 craft brands to record dollar sales gains YoY.
The rest of the top 10 craft brands performed as follows:
- Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams Seasonal (-4.9%, to nearly $99.25 million);
- Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (-2.3%, to $87.34 million);
- Shiner Bock (-1.4%, to nearly $85.75 million);
- Molson Coors’ Leinenkugel’s Shandy: (-0.6%, to nearly $82.6 million);
- Heineken’s Lagunitas IPA (-11.9%, to nearly $70.85 million).
Five other New Belgium brands made Circana’s top 30 craft brands list: No. 15 New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force hazy IPA (launched at the start of 2023); No. 18 Voodoo Ranger Hoppy Pack (+13% YoY); No. 19 Fat Tire Amber Ale (-17.7%); No. 21 Voodoo Ranger Juice Haze IPA (-12.3%); No. 25 Voodoo Ranger IPA (-14.6%).
Kirin-owned Bell’s Brewery also had two entries in the top 30: No. 14 Bell’s Two Hearted (+5.6%) and No. 30 Bell’s Seasonal (+11.2%).
Only four other top 30 craft brands recorded YoY dollar sales gains: No. 11 A-B’s Kona Big Wave (+41.7%, to $67 million); No. 17 Monster-owned Cigar City Jai Alai IPA (+1.1%,, to $39.8 million); No. 24 A-B’s Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug double IPA (+90.3%, to $28.6 million); and No. 27 A-B’s Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA (+8.5%, to nearly $25.7 million).
Nine of the top 30 recorded YoY dollar sales declines:
- No. 12 Firestone Walker 805 (-3.8%, to $64.3 million);
- No. 13 Founders All Day IPA (-6.2%, to $62.1 million);
- No. 16 Samuel Adams Boston Lager (-3.5%, $46.5 million);
- No. 20 Blue Moon Light Sky Citrus Wheat (-22%, to $38.6 million);
- No. 22 Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin (-15.9%, to $$33.6 million);
- No. 23 Samuel Adams Variety Pack (-1.1%, to $32.8 million);
- No. 26 Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (-3.6%, to $28.3 million);
- No. 28 Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing imperial IPA (-10.8%, to $23.5 million);
- No. 29 Goose Island IPA (-17.3%, to $23.2 million).
Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA finished 2023 maintaining the No. 1 craft spot in c-stores by dollar sales, increasing dollar sales +15.3%, to nearly $96.6 million. Blue Moon Belgian White was No. 2, with dollar sales declining -3.1% in the channel, to nearly $94.7 million.
Blue Moon remains the No. 1 craft brand by volume, despite a -6.8% decline in case sales. Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA increased case sales +9.9% YoY.
Four craft brands made the top 30 in c-stores that weren’t in the top 30 overall:
- Rhinegeist Truth IPA (+8.6%, to $11.7 million)
- Georgetown Bodhizafa IPA (+29.4%, to $9.1 million);
- 10 Barrel Pub Lager (+29.4%, to $8.48 million);
- And Tilray-owned Sweetwater 420 extra pale ale (-9.6%, to nearly $7.8 million).
In grocery, Blue Moon was the No. 1 craft brand by dollar sales (-2.9%, to $122.7 million), followed by Samuel Adams Seasonal (-5.3%, to $59.4 million) and Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA (+5.8%, to $56.2 million).
Tilray-owned Shock Top Belgian White Ale (formerly owned by A-B) was the only yet-to-be-mentioned brand to make the top 30 list in grocery, ranking No. 27, despite a -23.5% decline in dollar sales, to $12.1 million.