Volume of beer sold in '08 up 5.8 percent
By Roger Fillion, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published February 23, 2009 at 9:05 p.m.
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The nation's independent craft breweries posted a 5.8 percent increase in the volume of beer sold last year, benefiting from beer drinkers' growing appetite for stronger-tasting brews.
The Boulder-based Brewers Association also said dollar sales jumped 10.5 percent in 2008, to $6.34 billion.
Craft brewers sold 8,596,971 barrels last year, up from 8,123,607 barrels in 2007. Craft beer makers accounted for 4.0 percent of overall beer production last year, up from 3.8 percent in 2007.
Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association, noted the consolidation of big brewers, but added that small independent craft brewers continued to gain share and attention.
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