Raise your mugs today for a toast in honor of National Beer Day. Celebrated every April 7th to mark the enactment of the Cullen–Harrison Act, which legalized the sale of beer and wine with relatively low alcohol levels during Prohibition, beer drinkers could enjoy a frothy pint as of this date in 1933.
Though the malt beverage has been around since the ancient Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Chinese civilizations, America has had a longstanding love for the hoppy beverage. In fact, each adult drinker in the U.S. consumes some 26.2 gallons of it each year on average. Not only is that a lot of cold ones, but it is also a huge industry that’s valued at $116 billion by the Brewers Association.
Here are some of the leading brands millions of Americans will turn to this National Beer Day.
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (Tii:BUD)
With a diverse portfolio of more than 500 beer brands and approximately 170,000 employees based in nearly 50 countries, Anheuser-Busch is the market leader in the beer industry. The company’s Corona brand became the first global brewer to roll out six-pack cartons made with barley straw, essentially upcycling leftovers from the brewing process that would normally be sold off on the cheap or simply burned. Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser brand is a mainstay in American tailgates, barbecues and sporting events, making it one of the most popular and recognizable brands in the nation. Its popularity helped contribute to a 4.5% increase in fourth-quarter revenues. The company’s strong results come despite last year’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Molson Coors Beverage Company (Tii:TAP)
Molson Coors has a robust portfolio that includes Coors Light, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian, Carling, and Staropramen, Coors Banquet, Blue Moon Belgian White, Blue Moon LightSky, Vizzy, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Creemore Springs and more. Net sales revenue decreased 7.7% overall, primarily as a result of European and Canadian government restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. However, sales revenue in the U.S., the company’s largest market, increased 1.9%. Molson Coors’ two most prominent brands, Coors Light and Miller Lite, also grew 6.1% in the U.S. Last month, the brewer suffered a cyberattack that temporarily halted its beer-making production. As a result of the attack and the severe winter storms that temporarily shut the company’s Texas operations, Molson Coors will shift between $120 million to $140 million of underlying EBITDA from the first quarter of 2021 to the balance of fiscal 2021.
Boston Beer Company (Tii:SAM)
Boston Beer Co. is a leading independent American craft brewer that, in 1984, helped to launch the craft beer revolution with its flagship Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Initially available only in the Boston area, It is now the fourth largest brewery in the U.S., with brands that include Dogfish Head, Coney Island, Angel City Brewery, Havana Lager and more. The company has aggressively expanded its product line, with its Truly Hard Seltzer and Twisted Tea brands currently performing well. These new products and a loyal customer base that keeps up the demand for Boston Beer’s offerings have led to a surge in sales – from $918.99 million in 2016 to $1.85 billion in 2020. Shares of the brewer’s stock are up some 200% for the trailing 12 months, trading near the peak of its 52-week range of $357.51-$1,256.04.
Heineken N.V. (Tii:HEINY)
The favorite beer of The Most Interesting Man in the World was created in Veracruz, Mexico, in 1897 by a German immigrant and brewmaster. More than a century later, Dos Equis is a global brand that was declared the “fastest-growing import in the U.S.” in 2009. A subsidiary of Heineken, Dos Equis is now part of a suite of more than 300 brands of adult beverages available across more than 190 countries. Its offerings include its pilsner-style Dos Equis Lager Especial, a Vienna-style lager Dos Equis Ambar Especial, or its light and smooth Dos Equis Lager Lime & Salt.
Constellation Brands, Inc. (Tii:STZ)
Constellation is the leading importer of beer in the American marketplace, with eight of the 15 top-selling imported beer brands under its umbrella. It is also the company behind, Corona, America’s leading imported beer brand. Constellation owns the U.S. rights to the Corona brand, while Anheuser-Busch retains the brand's rights in the rest of the world. The producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits reported a 22% increase in third-quarter net sales while its stock price has appreciated approximately 42% over the last 12 months.
With National Beer Day coinciding with Hump Day, why not celebrate the middle of the workweek with one of these leading brews?