Maui Brewing Co. Reports Mid-Year Craft Brew Numbers
The Brewers Association of Boulder, CO, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, reports beer sales from American craft brewers continue to grow despite a softening economy and challenges with raw materials supply and pricing. Craft beer dollar sales during the first half of 2008 increased 11% compared to this same period in 2007.
Maui Brewing Co. is one of the craft brewing companies contributing to the growth with a 200% sales increase in the first half of 2007. The Brewers Association attributes this growth to a grassroots movement toward fuller-flavored, small batch beers made by independent craft brewers. According to The Nielsen Company, beer sales are affected the least by the economic downturn, with wine sales showing the most impact. Additionally, craft beer is gaining customers from across all segments of beverage alcohol.
“Newer brands by the larger brewers, like Belgian style wheat beers, have huge distribution advantages over beers by independent craft brewers,” said Paul Gatza, Director of the Brewers Association. “These brands can grow when the large brewers decide they want them to grow with the ability to impact what brands get shelf space and tap handles. At the same time, beer from craft brewers is being requested by the customer, which encourages distributors and retailers to make the beer available.” According to the Brewers Association, 1,420 of the 1,463 U.S. breweries are independent craft brewers.
Founded in 2005, Maui Brewing Co. is one of Hawaii’s fastest growing companies. We are dedicated to keeping our beers “Truly Local” as our beers are genuine Hawaiian microbrews wholly produced and packaged on Maui. With strong local support and commitment to the community and the environment, Maui Brewing Co. continues to win awards at the highest levels of competition throughout the world with its “Handcrafted Ales & Lagers Brewed with Aloha.”
The Brewers Association reports that in the first half of 2008 the volume of beer sold by craft brewers grew by 6.5% totaling an estimated four million barrels of beer compared to 3.768 million barrels sold in the first half of 2007. Harry Schuhmacher of Beer Business Daily stated, “Crafts have really taken pricing this year given high input costs, and yet it is still driving volume gains faster than the beer category.”
Founder Garrett Marrero and his wife, Melanie, run a 7-barrel brewpub at the Kahana location as well as the 25-barrel full production brewery and canning facility in Lahaina. Maui Brewing Co. is a truly local beer as 100% of their products are made in Hawaii as opposed to other “Hawaiian” beers.
