Jessica Jacobsen

The saying goes that variety is the spice of life. When it comes to foodservice menus, no truer words can be said. Whether it’s better-for-you or indulgent trends, beverage menus are being retooled to accommodate drinks that fit these molds, and The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, wants to make sure it is working with its foodservice partners to develop all kinds of specialty beverage solutions.

Novelist and playwright Oscar Wilde once said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” After challenging times as a result of the economic downturn, the on-premise channel has made gains through moderate year-by-year growth.

Innovation and exploration, those are the influences behind the plethora of craft beers and spirits that Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits develops, Chief Commercial Officer Earl Kight says.

Piggybacking off of last year’s positive performance, the U.S. beer market continues to post increases in both dollar and volume sales, according to experts in this year's beer market report.

Among the numerous beverage categories, the flavored malt beverage (FMB) segment, also known as progressive adult beverages (PABs), is resonating with consumers based on the convenience it offers, according to this year's beer market report.

Although hard cider stems from a smaller market share of the beer category, the hard cider segment continues to outpace the beer category as a whole, according to this year's beer market report.

Whether it’s the tortoise and the hare, David versus Goliath or small-market sports teams versus large-market franchises, many Americans have a soft spot for the “little” guy. The same could be said for the U.S. beer market in this year's beer report. According to Chicago-based Mintel’s January 2016 report “Beer – US,” craft beer’s market share of U.S. volume sales nearly doubled from 2010 to 2015 — 5.2 percent vs. 10.2 percent, respectively.

It seems as though U.S. consumers are having a love affair with import beer, based on analysis in this year's beer market report. According to Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI), dollar sales for import beer were $5.4 billion — an 11.7 percent increase — for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015, in U.S. supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, gas and convenience stores, military commissaries, and select club and dollar retail chains. Case sale gains were just shy of 10 percent during that time period.