With this year's Super Bowl teams just determined, another type of
competition is brewing in homes, supermarkets and liquor store
aisles across the country: which beers should we buy for Super Bowl
Sunday? Mintel, a leading market research company, dissects
people's beer-drinking habits to see which brands and bottles are
most likely to come home victorious.
Domestic Vs. Imported
Chugging down an ice-cold brew during the game is an all-American
pastime, and it turns out many Americans opt for domestic beers
over imported brands. Nearly half of Mintel's beer-drinking survey
respondents (44 percent) said they prefer domestic beer, with
another 13 percent saying their preference lies with domestic
microbrews or craft beers. Only 24 percent said they prefer to
drink imported beer. What's behind this preference? Taste and
loyalty: 42 percent say domestic "just tastes better" than
imported, and 53 percent report being "very loyal" to domestic
beer.
Light Vs. Regular
Health and diet trends encouraging people to consume fewer calories
have struck a chord with beer drinkers. Nearly a quarter of
domestic beer drinkers (24 percent) say they drink light beer all
the time, while another 26 percent say they drink it most of the
time. But for imported beer, the tables turn: 91 percent of
imported beer drinkers say they drink regular compared to only 37
percent who drink light or low-calorie imported beer.
Men Vs. Women
Men definitely dominate the beer world: 60 percent drink it
compared to only 36 percent of women (who are more likely to drink
spirits or wine). So, what do men want? Full-flavored beer. Over
half of men (51 percent) say they look for full-flavored brews,
compared to 42 percent of women who seek out lighter-flavored
beers. Men are also less interested in low-calorie beer (21
percent) than women (33 percent).







