With this post, we celebrate the first anniversary of BeerBusinessUnplugged, so I thought I would take the opportunity to comment on just how this endeavor has gone over the past year.
Having just entered into my 45th year in the beer industry, I originally wanted to comment on topics which I believed the industry was not properly handling. I had no clue as to what the response would be to these editorials. To my surprise, the feedback has been very supportive and encouraging! Due to the positive responses, and the fact that I truly enjoy writing, I continued and the responses kept coming. And, all this from a blog that has a finite interest base… the beer industry.
When looking at the editorials that generated the highest number of comments, the results are not surprising. Topics such as pricing, franchise laws, and history (especially about Schlitz) generated a high number of responses. The blogs that created the highest number of reactions, however, were those that dealt with the displaced beer professionals’ attempt to find any type of meaningful work. That is truly sad!
As we begin our journey into the second year of BeerBusinessUnplugged, I felt it time to post two interesting findings. The following list, deals with the 10 largest selling beers in the world. Note that three of the top four beers are from China! It is no wonder that all the big boys want to establish brands in that country. Looking into their volume puts things into perspective.
- Snow Beer, 74.8 (China) [SAB Miller]
- Tsingtao, 57.9 (China) [Tsingtao]
- Budweiser, 40.4 (U.S.) [ABI]
- Yanjing Beer, 39.6 (China) [Beijing Yanjing Beer Group]
- Bud Light, 36.7 (U.S.) [ABI]
- Corona Extra, 31.6 (Mexico) [ABI]
- Skol, 29.9 (Brazil) [Carlsberg]
- Heineken, 29.1 (Netherlands) [Heineken International]
- Coors Light, 25.1 (U.S.) [Molson Coors]
- Brahma (Brazil), 18.1 [ABI]
In the chart below, you see the dramatic growth of breweries, especially since 1990. In fact, the trend will continue as more and more states pass laws that are friendly to the craft industry.
Annually, I will reproduce and update these two industry reports. We can see how the industry is changing, especially with the increase in number of breweries. If anyone wants to guess how many there will be next year, hit me back and l will make note.
As all of you know, this industry lends itself to no shortage of topics on which to blog, however, feel free to comment on various industry issues that you find important. I welcome the challenge. Finally, I wish to thank you all for your comments and support. I have truly enjoyed reading your opinions and comments. Until next week, Happy Anniversary!