Retail

The Eight Beers Americans No Longer Drink

8. Budweiser
> Sales loss (2006-2010): -30%
> Brewer: Anheuser-Busch InBev
> Barrels sold (2010): 18 million

The self-proclaimed “king of beers,” Budweiser’s lager was originally sold in 1876. The company still refers to itself as The Great American Lager, despite the fact that the brand is now technically owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, a Belgian company. For years, it was the most popular beer in the country, until Bud Light took its place in 2001.

7. Milwaukee’s Best Light
> Sales loss (2006-2010): -34%
> Brewer: MillerCoors Brewing
> Barrels sold (2010): 1.3 million

Milwaukee’s Best Light was introduced in 1986 as the light version of Milwaukee’s Best. Now owned by MillerCoors, the beer has the tagline “brewed for a crisp, full taste.” Sales of the beer peaked at 2.1 million barrels in 1998 and 1999, but have declined steadily every year because of the success of larger brand name light beers like Bud Light and Miller Lite.

6. Miller Genuine Draft
> Sales loss (2006-2010): -51%
> Brewer: MillerCoors Brewing
> Barrels sold (2010): 1.8 million

Miller Genuine Draft, often referred to as MGD, is MillerCoors’ unpasteurized beer. It was introduced by Miller Brewing in 1985. The beer is actually made from the same recipe as Miller High Life, but is treated differently post-brewing. The beer is cold-filtered, rather than pasteurized, and is considered a draft beer. Sales of the beer peaked in 1992 at 7.1 million barrels. It now sells barely a quarter of that each year.

5. Old Milwaukee
> Sales loss (2006-2010): -52%
> Brewer: MillerCoors Brewing
> Barrels sold (2010): 525,000

Old Milwaukee is the flagship of the high -nd products made by faltering Pabst Brewing Company — once one of the largest brewery companies in the world. In 1990, Old Milwaukee sold over 6 million barrels. This brand, along with others made by Pabst Brewing, almost certainly have been hurt by the huge marketing budgets of MillerCoors Brewing and  Anheuser-Busch InBev and their ability to leverage the large sales volumes for better positions in stores.

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