National Drink Beer Day: Study says beer industry serves up more than drinks
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — To celebrate National Drink Beer Day on Wednesday, Budweiser launched the Beer with Your Buds National Survey — a first-of-its-kind study that asked 2,000 Americans to choose their top drink to enjoy with friends at a bar or other social venue.
Key findings include: Beer is America’s number one social drink of choice, and Americans love domestic beer by a two to one margin. The U.S. region that loves beer most at 40 percent is the east.
When it comes to local craft breweries like Sun King Brewing, the economic impact is more than you might think. Craft breweries have been growing significantly across the country for about a decade. According to the brewers association, the craft beer industry has seen six years of double digit growth.
During the first half of the year, however, independent brewers’ volumes grew about 8 percent, ending that double digit run.
In 2014, the U.S. beer industry’s total economic impact totaled nearly $253 billion, that’s about 1.5 percent of the nation’s total gross domestic product. The industry directly and indirectly employs more than 1.75 million Americans in more than a dozen different categories, including farming and package manufacturing.
Here in Indiana, the impact is about $4 billion, with about 39,000 jobs associated with the industry. There are 73 brewers and wholesalers in the Hoosier State — one of the largest beer producing states.