Beers Americans No Longer Drink

By Sam Stebbins Updated Jan 6, 5:38AM EST · Published Apr 5, 9:38PM EDT

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Beers Americans No Longer Drink — © CHUYN / Getty Images

Americans bought 208.1 million barrels of beer in 2017, about 1.6 million fewer barrels than five years ago. While sales of smaller craft beer brands climbed over that period, this growth was not strong enough to offset plummeting sales of some of the largest and most familiar beer brands in the United States.

U.S. sales of 18 of the 31 largest beer brands by shipment volume fell over the last five years. The brands include Coors Light, Miller High Life, Heineken, and — despite the buzz generated by the polarizing “Dilly Dilly” ad campaign — Bud Light.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the beer brands with declines in total barrels shipped in the United States between 2012 and 2017 to identify the beers Americans no longer drink. We only considered beer brands that shipped at least a million barrels in 2012. All shipment and market share data were provided by Beer Marketer’s Insights.

Some of the customers that once preferred many of the brands with collapsing sales are now increasingly opting for craft beers, flavored drinks, and some higher-end brands.

These are the beers Americans no longer drink.

18. Heineken
> Sales change (2012-2017): -5.0%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 4.0 million
> Market share: 1.9%
> Parent company: Heineken Holding N.V.

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17. Pabst Blue Ribbon
> Sales change (2012-2017): -6.9%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 2.4 million
> Market share: 1.1%
> Parent company: Pabst Brewing Company

[recirclink id=539739]

16. Icehouse
> Sales change (2012-2017): -8.9%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 1.3 million
> Market share: 0.6%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

15. Coors Light
> Sales change (2012-2017): -11.1%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 15.9 million
> Market share: 7.6%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

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14. Miller Lite
> Sales change (2012-2017): -12.3%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 12.8 million
> Market share: 6.2%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

13. Keystone Light
> Sales change (2012-2017): -15.1%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 3.5 million
> Market share: 1.7%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

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12. Milwaukee’s Best Ice
> Sales change (2012-2017): -16.8%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 1.2 million
> Market share: 0.6%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

[recirclink id=514283]

11. Busch
> Sales change (2012-2017): -17.7%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 4.7 million
> Market share: 2.2%
> Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

10. Bud Light
> Sales change (2012-2017): -18.0%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 31.6 million
> Market share: 15.2%
> Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

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9. Natural Light
> Sales change (2012-2017): -20.5%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 6.5 million
> Market share: 3.1%
> Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

8. Miller High Life
> Sales change (2012-2017): -21.5%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 3.5 million
> Market share: 1.7%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

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7. Natural Ice
> Sales change (2012-2017): -22.4%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 2.4 million
> Market share: 1.2%
> Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

[recirclink id=459948]

6. Budweiser
> Sales change (2012-2017): -23.8%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 12.2 million
> Market share: 5.9%
> Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

5. Tecate
> Sales change (2012-2017): -32.3%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 765,000
> Market share: 0.4%
> Parent company: Heineken Holding N.V.

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4. Bud Light Lime
> Sales change (2012-2017): -37.9%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 900,000
> Market share: 0.4%
> Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

3. Milwaukee’s Best Light
> Sales change (2012-2017): -43.7%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 625,000
> Market share: 0.3%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

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2. Miller Genuine Draft
> Sales change (2012-2017): -50.5%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 680,000
> Market share: 0.3%
> Parent company: Molson Coors Brewing Company

[recirclink id=460214]

1. Bud Light Platinum
> Sales change (2012-2017): -52.8%
> Barrels shipped in 2017: 850,000
> Market share: 0.4%
> Parent company: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

About the Author Sam Stebbins →

Sam Stebbins is a writer at a673b.bigscoots-temp.com where his primary focus is on government policy, politics, companies, and broad social and economic trends. Sam has been writing in the money and news verticals for over 8 years and holds a bachelor's degree from Hobart College, which he earned in 2010. Sam resides in upstate New York and enjoys hiking, biking, canoeing, and skiing in the Adirondack Mountains and across the Northeast.