Minneapolis, Minn., (September 30, 2025) – In 2024, the U.S. beer industry faced a considerable volume decline of 2.2%, totaling 2.69 billion 2.25-gallon cases. Despite overall declines, flavored malt beverages (FMBs) and imports showed growth, reflecting resilience and strong consumer demand. However, gains in these segments were not enough to fully offset declines across other domestic beer categories. While beer continues to hold its place as the nation’s most widely consumed adult beverage, shifting consumer preferences are reshaping the landscape, with spirits capturing a growing share of revenue.
Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) and hard seltzers together secured their position as the third-largest category in the U.S. beer industry in 2024, holding an 11.2% market share and surpassing craft beer. While total case volume decreased by 1.7%, driven by hard seltzers, FMBs maintained their impressive momentum, rising 6.3%, while hard seltzers declined by 8.3%. Twelve of the top 23 FMB brands posted volume gains in 2024, highlighting ongoing consumer demand. In hard seltzers, only three brands achieved growth, including White Claw, which maintained its category dominance at a 56.8% share.
Imported beer remained another bright spot in the U.S. market, advancing 2.9% in 2024 and capturing 22.3% of total industry share, up 1.1 points from 2023. Imports solidified their place as the second-largest beer category, trailing only light beer, and marked their 14th consecutive year of growth. Leading the way, Modelo Especial continued its remarkable trajectory, adding 16.7 million cases. Other imports also delivered strong results, with five brands posting double-digit gains. With only two beer segments achieving growth in 2024, imports and FMBs stand out as key drivers in an otherwise challenged industry landscape.
Domestic beer experienced notable difficulties, with total volume declining to 2.07 billion cases. This segment represented 77.7% of the overall industry share, reflecting a decrease of 1.1% compared to the previous year. Despite these challenges, Anheuser-Busch InBev maintained a dominant position within the domestic market, holding 40.4% of domestic volume. The company continued to feature prominently in the industry, with five brands—Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Busch Light, and Natural Light—ranked among the top 10 domestic beers. Molson Coors followed as the second-leading domestic brewer, capturing a 28.7% share and placing two brands, Coors Light and Miller Lite, among the top 10 as well.
Although domestic beer remains a foundational element of the U.S. beer industry, the landscape is shifting. The most significant growth and momentum in 2024 came from imports and flavored malt beverages (FMBs), which outperformed the domestic segment. These results underscore the importance of innovation and brand differentiation as consumer preferences continue to evolve. As the market changes, domestic brewers will need to adapt and respond to these trends to maintain relevance and competitiveness in the years ahead.
About the 2025 Beer Handbook
The Beverage Information Group’s 2025 Beer Handbook is a comprehensive source of information on U.S. beer trends. It includes volume consumption information by category and market, tracks leading brands, and reports historical data.
Order this publication here or contact Sherai Falcon at sfalcon@epgmediallc.com or 763-383-4400 ext. 4423.
