New figures just released from a nationwide survey seem to support what we know: craft beer is on the march. Figures from a pool of approximately 20,000 Australians questioned about a range of habits by Roy Morgan Research indicate that the number of people in Australia over 18 drinking a “craft beer” in any given four-week period rose from 3.5 percent in 2010 to 5.7 percent in 2014. They believe this means the number of Australian adults trying craft beer has crept past the one million mark for the first time.
Before we go on – and without wishing to be drawn into any debate over exactly what craft beer is or isn’t – a little clarification as to how the research was carried out. The questionnaire completed for Roy Morgan by 20,000 people includes questions on a whole range of topics, including habits surrounding alcohol. In both 2010 and 2014, respondents were asked if they had consumed any of the following five beer brands in the preceding four week period: Matilda Bay Beez Neez and Fat Yak, Cascade Pure (now discontinued), James Squire and Little Creatures.
Leaving aside how “crafty” you might consider some of these, that the same spread of people responded to the same questions about the same brands four years apart and the results indicated an increase of more than 60 percent over the four years is a positive sign. What’s more, respondents told researchers that those of them consuming mainstream beer had declined from 36.7 percent to 31.9 percent, with imported beer consumers up from 14 per cent to 17.3 percent. This research is different from that measuring volume of beer consumed, where total “craft beer” consumption is believed to have crept beyond 3 percent, including Matilda Bay, James Squire and Little Creatures, with approximately 1 percent of beer volume consumed in Australia produced by the country’s small, independent breweries.
According to the report from Roy Morgan, entitled “Nothing bitter about craft beer’s rising popularity”, the growth is strongest among 25 to 34-year-olds:
“The growing popularity of local craft beer is being driven predominantly by those under 50, with 25-34 year olds leading the way. In 2010, 7.9 percent of 25-34 year olds drank craft beer in an average four weeks, but this has since grown to 10.7 percent.
People from New South Wales and Queensland have taken to craft beer with particular zeal. Between 2010 and 2014, NSW’s craft beer drinkers grew by 186,000 people, while in Queensland an extra 99,000 developed a taste for it.
Lead researcher Angela Smith told The Crafty Pint: “You are seeing most alcohol in decline, so it’s a nice story to see [craft beer] is growing. There is a lot more interest. The good news is that it’s got over that one million mark.”
You can read more about how they carried out their research – and find out how to order more detailed reports – here.
The rise and fall of Aussie beer habits
Dave Bonighton, co-owner of Melbourne’s Mountain Goat and head of the national Craft Beer Industry Association (CBIA), says: “Those figures don’t seem crazy. It’s really hard for me to speak with any certainty [without knowing more about the research] but I’m really optimistic about where craft beer is going. We’re still working off a low base and still have a long way to go to catch up with countries that we compare ourselves to, such as New Zealand and the US.
“But if we can double the number of people drinking craft beer and double it again then we can start talking about good numbers.”
In Spring, CBIA will send out its own surveys to all Australian breweries as it looks to assess the size and growth of the local industry, measuring employees, total output and the like. The first survey was sent out in September last year.
*Anyone wishing to find out more about the Roy Morgan research can reach Angela Smith on (02) 9021 9101 or by emailing Angela.Smith@roymorgan.com.
