Beer Distributors NAICS 424810

Nov 20, 2025 - Beer’s Affordability Crisis

• Affordability concerns are taking the fizz out of the craft beer market, according to Andrew Heritage, chief economist at the beer industry trade association Beer Institute. Heritage says that as US consumers struggle financially, they tend to trade down on non-essentials like beer, with more drinkers opting for economy brands, like Miller High Life or Busch Light, found at discounters like Costco or Sam's Club, over craft brews that can only be found at high-priced breweries. He says that’s proof that consumers are looking for a lower price point. The economy isn't the only thing driving changes in beer consumption. Over the last 20 years, craft beers have been trending, bringing a dizzying array of flavors, options, and alcohol content levels to the tap room. Experts say this explosion of choices may have overwhelmed consumers and left them craving the simplicity of classics like Budweiser.
• Michelob Ultra is now the top-selling beer in the US, overtaking Modelo Especial, CNBC reported in September. The light lager claimed the title of the best-selling beer in retail channels in the 52 weeks ended Sept. 14, parent company Anheuser-Busch announced, citing data from consumer research firm Circana. The beer was also the top seller in bars and restaurants, according to Nielsen IQ data for the 52 weeks ended July 12. Michelob Ultra’s ascent returns an Anheuser-Busch beer to the top spot. In 2023, the company’s Bud Light brand lost the title to Modelo amid a consumer backlash against the brand and growing cultural cachet for Modelo. Previously, Bud Light had held the title as the US’s top-selling beer for more than two decades. Modelo brewer Constellation Brands recently reported weaker demand from Hispanic consumers, a key segment of its customer base, per CNBC.

• The percentage of US adults who say they consume beer and other alcoholic beverages has fallen to 54%, the lowest level in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend, the polling firm reported in August. Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits survey, conducted in July, found the figure fell to 62% in 2023 and to 58% in 2024, before reaching 54% today. The downward trend coincides with recent research indicating that any level of alcohol consumption may negatively affect health, a sharp reversal from previous recommendations that moderate drinking could offer some protective benefits. More than a third (38%) of US drinkers cite beer as the alcoholic beverage they consume most often, exceeding the 30% who name liquor and 29% who name wine. The survey also found that men are far more likely than women to reach for a beer (52% vs. 23%).
• Producer prices for beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers rose 1.7% in August compared to a year ago, after rising 4.4% in the previous August-versus-August annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. At retail, in August the price of beer for home consumption rose 1.2% year over year and 0.6% month over month, while the price for away-from-home beer consumption rose 3.2% YoY and 0.5% MoM, according to the BLS’s August 2025 Consumer Price Index report. Employment by the industry dipped 0.7% YoY in July, while the average wage at beer distributors rose 2.3% over the same period to a new high of $27.92 per hour, BLS data show.