[THC] some statistics

[Thomas E. Hess]

from an article today
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/weekinreview/11salkin.html?ref=weekinreview

"Hard drinkers are more important than ever to the large brewers. 
Sales of standard Budweiser peaked at 50 million barrels in 1988 and 
dropped to 26 million barrels in 2006. Likewise, regular Coors sells 
half what it did at its peak, said Benj Steinman, publisher of Beer 
Marketer's Insights, a trade publication.

This has left hope concentrated in the light beers. The top five 
best-selling beers in the United States are, in order, Bud Light, 
Budweiser, Miller Lite, Coors Light and Natural Light, Mr. Steinman 
said. But with sales for light beers basically flat in the last few 
years, the big brewers "are really struggling for what's their 
identity going forward," Mr. Steinman said. (Miller Lite sales were 
down half a percent in 2006. Bud Light, which had three Super Bowl 
spots, was up 4 percent.)

Despite gestures brewers make to responsible drinking, 10 percent of 
beer drinkers drink 43 percent of reported beer consumption, 
according to a 1999 study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol. Eric 
Shepard, executive editor of Alcohol Issues Insights, said the study 
was the most recent he was aware of, and using its figures estimated 
that a core drinker would be consuming nearly a gallon of beer a day."