Craft segment keepin’ up growth pace to start new yr, as dollar sales up 20%, vol up 16% yr-to-date thru Jan 25 in IRI multi-channel + convenience data. Segment’s up another 1.1 share of $$ to just over 8. Most cos right where they left off too. Boston Beer (including cider & tea), New Belgium, Sierra and Deschutes $$ sales each growin’ high-teens, like they’ve been the last handful of mos. Boston Beer and NBB trendin’ slower than 2014, whereas Sierra and Deschutes have picked up at end of 2014 and into 2015. On other hand, Sam Adams Boston Lager took tuff hit to start off yr, -10%, steeper than it’s been in memory. Gambrinus (+10%), Craft Brew Alliance (+5%), Lagunitas (+59%) round out top 5. Stone (+41%) and SweetWater (+50%) trends both picked up a bit, while Bell’s slowed to +13%. Dogfish (+20%) and Duvel USA (+3%) trends stayed roughly the same.
Lagunitas IPA Passes Torpedo; SweetWater IPA Cracks Top-30; IPAs Over 1/4 of Craft Sales Lagunitas IPA $$ sales up 60% plus again in Jan. That put $$ sales (not volume) ahead of Sierra’s Torpedo for first time, to become the #1 selling IPA and #6 craft brand in scans. Torpedo’s no slouch tho, still up double-digits, +15%. But immense growth of Lagunitas IPA over the yrs has catapulted brand to top IPA spot early in yr. Meanwhile another IPA, SweetWater IPA, also up 60% plus to start off new yr. That hurtled brand into top 30, at #30. And plenty other top IPAs still trendin’ high. So net-net, IPA style still flyin’ as $$ grew 38% in Jan, gained just under 4 share to 25.7 of craft $$. How much higher can IPAs go?