What you need to know
‘Craft’ is currently one of the buzzwords within the alcoholic drinks industry, with landlords and retailers alike looking to tap into the popularity of craft drinks. Craft beer is particularly big business, with new breweries opening each week. While some brands such as Guinness are looking to tap into the trend via internal projects, the acquisitions of Meantime and Camden Town in 2015 by SABMiller and InBev, respectively, are unlikely to be the last time a large brewery looks to buy its way into the segment.
A lack of a definition has not hindered the growth of craft drinks to date, with no imminent sign of this trend slowing down. However, with more operators entering the market, consumers are likely to become even more demanding of craft brands to prove their credentials and show that they are not just jumping on the bandwagon.
Covered in this report
There is no industry-wide accepted definition of ‘craft’ drinks, but craft brands are often associated with being made by companies which are small in size and independent. However, this definition could be seen as inaccurate, particularly in the wake of the takeovers of the craft breweries Meantime and Camden Town by larger companies in 2015. Instead, many consumers are defining craft drinks according to their own criteria, which will be explored in the report.
The report covers all types of alcoholic drinks, but excludes soft drinks such as carbonated soft drinks and juices. The absence of an industry-wide definition of craft drinks means that a market size cannot be reliably calculated, and therefore none has been included in this report.
