Boulder Group Says Craft Beer Sales Sky High DENVER, CO (KUNC) - A Boulder-based trade group says so-called craft-beer sales and production are continuing to soar. New figures released Tuesday by the Brewers Association show that sales grew by seven percent in 2009.

Numbers like these are closely watched in states like Colorado, where beer is big business.

But before you start thinking that beer is recession proof, hold on, because beer sales nationwide are down; especially at big brewers like Coors. It's just this small corner of the market, the niche craft brewing industry, that's doing surprisingly well.

"Which seems kind of counter intuitive that the segment of the market that tends to have the highest prices per unit, would actually be the segment of the market that's growing," says Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association.

Gatza had expected the 2009 numbers to soften, but he says his group's research shows that more people are moving away from ordering spirits and wines in bars and restaurants, and toward their favorite brew.

In its surveys with brewers around the country, the Association also found that 42 brew pubs actually opened last year, along with 56 microbreweries.

Pretty good, Gatza says, considering it's a recession and credit for small business is tight.

"So even at a time when money's difficult to come by, and a down economy, we still see more people just following their passion to start breweries," he adds.

There may be a few other factors behind the rise in sales. Craft beers actually got slightly cheaper to make last year, after the dark years of 2007 and 2008, when there was a worldwide shortage of hops.

Better weather in 2009, and continuing consumer interesting drinking local this year, has the industry hoping they'll see a continued rise in sales in 2010.
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