Craft beer’s dollar sales growth continues to outpace the overall beer category at off-premise retailers tracked by market research firm IRI.
Year-to-date through February 21, dollar sales of craft beer have increased 17.2% compared to the same period last year, while total beer dollar sales are up 13.5%, the firm reported.
Thirteen of the top 30 craft brands are outpacing the segment’s early 2021 growth rate. They include:
- New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA, +42.6%, to $16.8 million;
- Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA, +42.6%, to $14 million;
- Samuel Adams seasonal, +21.7%, to $11.2 million;
- Founders All Day IPA, +18%, to $10.6 million;
- Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, +21.1%, to $8.1 million;
- Blue Moon Light Sky Citrus Wheat, +880.7%, to $7.5 million;
- Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale, +23.9%, to $6 million;
- Kona Big Wave Golden Ale, +40.2%, to $5.2 million;
- New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA, +125%, to $4.7 million;
- Leinenkugel Seasonal Shandy, +70.9%, to $4.1 million;
- Samuel Adams variety pack, +39.2%, to $3.7 million;
- New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Rotating IPA, +52.1%, to $3.6 million;
- Founders Centennial IPA, +56.5%, to $2.5 million.
Only four of IRI’s top 30 craft brands posted declining sales. They include two Sierra Nevada offerings — Torpedo Extra IPA (-7.5%, to $7.5 million) the brewery’s seasonal offering (-14.9%, to $2.6 million). SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale declined 0.9%, to $2.7 million, while Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Shock Top Belgian White Ale recorded the largest sales decline (-16.9%, to $5.8 million).
The only offering among IRI’s top 30 craft brands yet to cycle its launch is New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Hoppy Pack variety pack, which launched last spring. In addition to that SKU and the three brands outpacing craft segment growth, New Belgium Voodoo Ranger IPA (+7.2%, to $6.5 million) and Fat Tire (+6.2%, to $8.5 million) also cracked the top 30, giving the Fort Collins, Colorado-headquartered craft brewery more brands on the list than any other craft beer maker.
Year-to-date, dollar sales of New Belgium’s total portfolio have increased 41%, to $49 million, making it the 11th largest beer category vendor, edging passed Sierra Nevada for the second month in a row. Sierra Nevada, now the 12th largest beer category vendor, posted a 17.8% increase, to $46.4 million year-to-date.
Dollar sales of Boston Beer Company offerings — which include Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Truly Hard Seltzer, Twisted Tea and Dogfish Head — have increased 65.2%, to $287.1 million year-to-date through February 21, making it the fifth largest beer maker. The Truly (+137.9%, to $147.5 million) and Twisted Tea (+51.9%, to $79.1 million) brand families drove Boston Beer’s growth, landing at No. 10 and No. 13 on IRI’s top 25 brand families list.
Other craft beer makers among IRI’s top 25 beer category vendors include Yuengling (+5.5%, to $51.8 million), Lagunitas (+4%, to $28 million), the Gambrinus Company (+18.2%, to $20.3 million), Founders (+23.5%, to $18.7 million), CANarchy (+21.7%, to $17.6 million), Firestone Walker (+23.6%, to $16.6 million), Bell’s (+22.2%, to $14.8 million), Artisanal Brewing Ventures (+30%, to $14.5 million), Stone (+5.5%, to $10.8 million), Deschutes (+6.7%, to $9.6 million) and SweetWater (-0.9%, to $8.4 million).