Jessica Jacobsen

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.

As Dorothy told audiences, “There’s no place like home.” Aside from being a memorable movie quote, this notion has taken on a deeper meaning in the food and beverage industries as local-buying trends and farmers markets are being celebrated by more and more consumers.

Whether it’s from their friends and family, doctors or TV personalities, Americans have numerous outlets from which to receive advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are hoping to make it easier for American consumers to make smart food and beverage choices.