Craft Scans -4% Through February, per Circana; Voodoo Ranger Juice Force Now 5th Best-Selling Craft Brand; Fruit Force Sequel Cracks Top 30

Off-premise dollar sales of craft beer declined -4%, to nearly $620.8 million, while case sales dipped -8.6% year-to-date through February 26 in multi-outlet and convenience stores (MULC) tracked by Circana, the market research firm formerly known as IRI.

Craft’s performance in retail stores has thus far lagged behind the overall beer category, which increased off-premise sales +4.4%, to nearly $6 billion, the firm reported. Beer category case sales were down -2%. The average price per case for beer through the first two months of 2023 is up $1.81, to $29.47. However, craft’s price per case is also up $2.05, to $42.79.

Craft performed better within c-stores (+0.4% dollars, -5% volume) as the price per case of craft beer increased $2.49, to $46.51, through the first two months of 2023. However, craft dollar sales in grocery stores declined -7%, while volume dipped -11.1%. The price of a case of craft beer in grocery stores increased $1.84, to $41.73.

Zeroing in on the top 30 craft brands, just eight of those brands posted increased dollar sales, and only seven increased case sales (volume) year-to-date. Only one new brand, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Fruit Force IPA, the fruit punch sequel to last year’s Juice Force hazy IPA launch, cracked the top 30, taking the last spot with more than $2.9 million in sales in the first two months of 2023.

New Belgium led the way with seven brands in the top 30 (eight, if you count Lion Little World Beverages sister brand Bell’s Two Hearted Ale). Three of the six established brands increased both dollars and volume year-to-date through February:

  • New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA (+12.1% dollars, +6.3% volume);
  • New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Julce Force Hazy IPA (+720.9% dollars, +720.1% volume);
  • New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Hoppy variety pack (+27.5% dollars, +20.4% volume).

New Belgium and Bell’s brands in the top 30 declining in dollars and volume to start the year included:

  • Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (-2.6% dollars, -6.1% volume);
  • New Belgium Fat Tire (-11.1% dollars, -15.5% volume);
  • New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA (-4.6% dollars, -10.3% volume);
  • New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA (-27.6% dollars, -32.6% volume).

New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA continues its upward trajectory as the No.2 craft brand, with more than $25 million in MULC off-premise sales tracked by Circana. No. 1 craft brand Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Belgian White declined -2.9% in dollars, to more than $37 million in off-premise sales, while also shedding -7.5% in case sales.

Although nearly $12 million separates them in overall Circana scans, Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA has once again edged Blue Moon as the top-selling craft beer in the convenience channel ($13.9 million to $13.6 million). However, the gap was much bigger in grocery, with Blue Moon posting nearly double the sales of Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA ($16.3 million to $8.4 million).

Juice Force, the fifth overall best-selling craft beer, is now the third best-selling craft beer in c-stores, with more than $9.1 million in sales, according to Circana data.

Overall, New Belgium and Bell’s parent company Lion/Kirin ranked as Circana’s eighth largest beer category vendor, with dollar sales (+14.9%) and volume (+8.8%) both increasing.

Other top 30 craft brands growing dollars and volume year-to-date through February were either owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev or Molson Coors. They included:

  • A-B’s Kona Big Wave Golden Ale (+16.3% dollars, +15.4% volume);
  • Molson Coors’ Leinenkugel’s Shandy seasonal (+5.1% dollars, +2.5% volume);
  • A-B’s Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA (+21.4% dollars, +17% volume);
  • A-B’s Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug DDH Double IPA (+148.4% dollars, +134.7% volume).

Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA increased dollar sales (+1.7%), but its case sales declined -3.2% for the first two months of the year. Three other Sierra Nevada beers made the top 30, with each declining in dollars and volume:

  • Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (-5.3% dollars, -9.9% volume);
  • Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA (-13.6% dollars, -17.1% volume);
  • Sierra Nevada Big Little Thing Imperial IPA (-2% dollars, -5.8% volume).

Sierra Nevada ranked as the 11th largest beer category vendor, although dollars (-1.9%) and volume (-6.3%) both declined.

Other top 30 craft brands declining in dollars and volume include:

  • Shiner Bock (-5.6% dollars, -10.9% volume);
  • A-B’s Elysian Space Dust IPA (-6% dollars, -9.2% volume);
  • Heineken’s Lagunitas IPA (-19.2% dollars, -25.3% volume);
  • Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams seasonal (-8.8% dollars, -13.1% volume);
  • Firestone Walker 805 (-12.3% dollars, -19.1% volume);
  • Founders All Day IPA (-8.7% dollars, -14% volume);
  • Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams Boston Lager (-13.4% dollars, -17.7% volume);
  • Monster Energy’s Cigar City Jai Alai IPA (-3% dollars, -9.4% volume);
  • Heineken’s Lagunitas A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale (-17.9% dollars, -23.8% volume);
  • Molson Coors’ Blue Moon Light Sky Citrus Wheat (-18.3% dollars, -21.5% volume);
  • Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams variety pack (-4.8% dollars, -10.9% volume);
  • A-B’s Goose Island IPA (-18% dollars, -20.9% volume);
  • A-B’s Shock Top Belgian White Ale (-19.1% dollars, -23.1% volume).

Within convenience, a pair of regional craft breweries are growing dollars and volume: Rhinegeist’s Truth IPA (+17.7% dollars, +11.1% volume) and Georgetown’s Bodhizafa IPA (+8.1% dollars and +1.1% volume) both landed in the top 30 c-store craft brands, at No. 21 and No. 30, respectively.

Craft’s most dominant style, IPA, declined -0.7% in dollars, to more than $301.76 million, and -5.6% in case sales. Among the styles tracked by Circana just two grew dollar sales: craft variety (+6.1%) and craft wheat beers (+3%).

Circana doesn’t break out craft non-alcoholic beer within its data set. Off-premise sales of the overall NA beer segment increased +32.7%,with case sales increasing +19.4% in multi-outlet and convenience stores, the firm reported. Dedicated NA craft brewery Athletic Brewing Company ranked No. 25 among Circana’s top 25 overall beer category vendors. Athletic’s off-premise sales in Circana tracked channels increased +146.5%, to nearly $7 million, while case sales grew +139.4%.