As beer consumers expressed a growing desire for new styles and flavors, the imported beer segment was among the markets that benefited from this demand. Analysts highlight that trend resulted in import beers outpacing the overall U.S. beer market in previous years, with projections suggesting that performance will continue.
Chris Lombardo, senior analyst and team lead for Los Angeles-based IBISWorld, notes that the market research firm expects import beer to increase at an annualized rate of 3.4 percent over the five years to 2020, bringing its sales total to $6 billion. Lombardo notes that the five-year forecast to 2025 also looks bright for import beer.