Quality of Beer Remains Priority Despite Economy

On Saturday, May 30, over 1,900 attendees enjoyed craft beer and food pairings from 68 craft breweries at the sold-out SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. A post-event survey conducted by the Brewers Association finds that demand for quality beer remains high despite the economy. An overwhelming 91.4 percent of surveyed attendees said the economy has not affected the quality of beer they purchase. In addition, 98.8 percent of respondents cite "high quality" as their main priority when purchasing beer, as opposed to "low price" or "brand recognition."

"A total of 68 craft breweries, each small and independent, participated in SAVOR, the premiere beer and food pairing event in the U.S. These breweries are succeeding despite a number of challenges including access to market, rising cost of raw materials and ingredients, and tax issues on both the federal and state level—not to mention the economy," stated Charlie Papazian, President of the Brewers Association. "We're happy that interest in craft beer is so strong that SAVOR, as a second year event, sold out 8 weeks in advance."

Other Results from the SAVOR Survey

When it comes to spending habits, over half (54.9 percent) of surveyed SAVOR attendees said they spend more than $50 per month on beer, while 36.6 percent spend between $25 and $50 and only 8.6 percent spend less than $25 per month. And contrary to popular belief, many beer lovers enjoy other fermented beverages as well. Nearly half of respondents (46.9 percent) claimed to look outside the beer glass and consider themselves to be cross drinkers (enjoying a combination of beer, wine and/or liquor), while 51.6 percent identify themselves as beer lovers exclusively.

Finally, President Obama's approval ratings apparently extend to the beer-drinking set. When asked to choose between having a beer with President Barack Obama or First Lady Michelle Obama, most respondents (82.5 percent) picked the President over Mrs. Obama.

Survey Methodology: The Brewers Association survey of SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience attendees took place online from June 1-2, 2009, with data derived from 257 respondents.