Leader in real-time data and insights releases its annual report on everything draft beer surrounding the Day o’ the Green
SYRACUSE, NY (March 18, 2019) — BeerBoard, the leader in real-time data, insights and consumer engagement for the hospitality industry, today released its 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Report, a review of insights and performance data for draft beer on the day that everyone in America is at least a little bit Irish.
This annual report shows St. Patrick’s Day is much more than just Irish folk songs wearing something green; it has a direct impact on bars, brewers and markets. The 2019 report looks at March 17, 2019 (a Sunday), and compares same-store data against March 17, 2018 (a Saturday).
BeerBoard’s robust client list features neighborhood bars, high-profile independent groups and major chain operators across North America. The list includes industry leaders Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Twin Peaks, Applebee’s, Mellow Mushroom and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse.
And without further ado, let’s see if any Leprechauns had any impact at the taps:
Where Was the Green … For the Retailers?
St. Patrick’s Day 2019 fell off a bit as compared to the holiday in 2018. Beer volume was down marginally, taking a 6.7% dip from the previous year. Maybe a reason for the decline: 2018 St. Paddy’s Day was on a Saturday, while this year’s celebration took place on a Sunday.
Styles Hold Form
The top three performing styles: Light Lager, Lager and IPA all held true to form, and all saw an increase on the day. The traditional #1 style, Light Lager, was +3.3% over 2018. Lagers saw an even larger increase of +11.5%, while IPAs were +7.3% over the previous year.
An Outlier Among National Brand Decline
One brand stood out among the traditional leaders. As compared to 2018, Michelob Ultra saw a massive spike in volume, growing 66.3% and displacing Coors Light as the #3 brand for the day (and was a click off taking the #2 overall position). Bud Light clocked in as the #1 brand for the day, though it was down 5.3% over 2018. Miller Lite, #2 overall, dropped a healthy 15.7%, while Coors Light dropped to #4 overall with its 28.9% decline.
Neighborhood Watch
Digging into the Neighborhood concepts (pubs, taverns, independents) for which BeerBoard analyzes data, overall pour volume was down 16.5%, as compared to 2018. As previously referenced, the Saturday-Sunday impact was probably felt even more in this segment. Of note, Guinness out-performed the decline and saw a healthy 11.5% increase in that segment.
What Happened in the ‘Cuse You Asked?
It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without reporting on what happened in our home base of Syracuse, NY. Take note that “Parade Day” in Syracuse this year was on Saturday, March 16, and the impact was felt. For the real holiday (March 17), volume was down significantly overall, with a 25.1% decline over 2018.
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About BeerBoard
BeerBoard manages over $1 billion in retail draft beer sales and 45,000 products through its industry-leading data and insights platform. It works with the largest operators and brewers to help them sell more beer and make more money.
Installed at thousands of client locations, its services include SmartBar, which generates real-time insights and trend-driven analytics; BeerBoardTV, a digital consumer-facing menu display; BeerBoard Menu, automated print and website menus; and BeerBoard Mobile, a mobile application designed for consumer interaction.
BeerBoard’s robust client list features high-profile independent groups and major chain operators across North America. The list includes industry leaders Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Twin Peaks, Applebee’s, Mellow Mushroom and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. BeerBoard also partners with major brewers for data and insights, including Lagunitas, Heineken, Diageo, Pabst, Stone, Founders, Labatt USA, Genesee, Pyramid and Magic Hat.
BeerBoard is headquartered in Syracuse, NY, and has offices in Denver, Minneapolis and New York City. For more information, please visit https://beerboard.com/.