Though India pale ales have taken the craft beer world by storm, only millennials say IPA is their favorite style, a new poll shows.
Market research firm Datassential’s online survey of 548 beer drinkers found that Millennials (respondents aged 26 to 40) prefer IPAs, while Gen X (ages 41 to 57) and Baby Boomers (ages 58 and older) say that beer drinkers prefer lager this is her favorite style of beer. According to the survey conducted in August, the top choice of Gen Z drinkers (21-25 years old) is ale, not IPA.
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In addition to millennials, women and beer drinkers with annual household incomes of more than $100,000 prefer IPAs, the survey found. Lagers are favored by beer drinkers making less than $25,000 a year.
“Luckily for consumers and the beer industry, there seems to be an endless number of combinations between beer styles and popular flavors that are attractive either for consumption at home or for the drinks menu at a restaurant or bar,” says Mark Brandau, deputy Datassential’s director of research and insights. “Beer styles come in a wide spectrum from chocolate porters to mango wheat ales and everything in between, making beer more versatile than most wine or spirit styles.”
In addition to the 548 beer drinkers who responded to survey questions about preferred style and taste, 2,283 other beer drinkers aged 21 and over were included in the survey.
Other survey results were:
*Two-thirds of drinking-age adults have had a beer in the past month, and 58% of beer drinkers consume one or more beers weekly.
*Citrus is the number one flavor of choice in beer. In second place are berry aromas, followed by apple and pear.
*Nearly 4 in 5 respondents say they prefer US brewed beer. Beers from Mexico are preferred by 17% of respondents, beers from Germany by 15%.
*Seven in 10 respondents say they prefer a can or bottle of beer, while 24% say they prefer a draft beer.
* 37 percent of those surveyed describe themselves as beer connoisseurs, ie people who have expert knowledge of high-quality beer and its origin.
