This is part-news/part-retraction. We have been linking to reports from GuestMetrics for weeks now since they started culling their data set of restaurant receipt scans for craft beer info. We scratched our heads when Karl Strauss Red Trolley Ale showed up as a top gainer in the nationwide on-premise channel considering that the beer is only available in California..but shook it off. Now, the latest data released points to Widmer Brothers Broken Halo IPA as an on-premise top gainer despite the beer not having been brewed for two years. While there appears to still be good data in these releases, we will probably start attaching a disclaimer as they appear to skew in a West Coast direction and we don’t have the ability to independently vet the data.

In any case, the press release below provides information on IPA growth in the on-premise channel.

Press Release:

(Leesburg, VA) – According to GuestMetrics, based on its database of POS sales in restaurants and bars, India Pale Ale displayed the strongest growth and market share gains of all the various types of beer last year in the on-premise channel.

“Of the over 25 different types of beer classifications we have in our system, India Pale Ale displayed the strongest unit growth in 2012 at +39% compared to the prior year, and in terms of share of the overall beer category, also displayed the largest gain at about 55 basis points,” said Bill Pecoriello, CEO of GuestMetrics LLC. “While IPA is still quite small at just 1% of all beers sold in on-premise, our data indicates thus far in 2013, India Pale Ale’s strength has actually picked up some additional strength, growing units at 40% compared to the prior year, and achieving around a 70 basis point share gain.” Based on data from GuestMetrics, the IPA brands with the largest share gains last year were Widmer Broken Halo IPA, Lagunitas India Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA, and Ballast Point Sculpin.

“At the other end of the spectrum are the Pale Lagers, which are the largest of the different beer types with a 33% share of all beers sold. Pale Lagers saw unit sales contract by 5% in 2012 compared to the prior year, and as a result, experienced by far the largest share loss at about 170 basis points in 2012,” said Peter Reidhead, VP of Strategy and Insights at GuestMetrics. “Additionally, in analyzing the quarter of 2013, the picture does not appear to be improving for Pale Lagers, with units contracting 6.2% against prior year, and the share loss accelerating slightly to 180 basis points.” Based on data from GuestMetrics, the Pale Lager brands with the largest share loss last year were Miller Lite, Bud Light, and Budweiser.

“It’s important for restaurant and bar operators to understand the rapidly changing dynamics in the beer category to ensure their offerings are on-trend and optimize sales and profits,” said Brian Barrett, President of GuestMetrics. “While it’s important to have a balanced offering that includes mainstream beers, the strong growth in India Pale Ale and the other ales should prove to be a positive, particularly given the difference in pricing. The average Ale is priced at $5.62 versus $4.51 for the average Lager, and the pricing specifically for an IPA is even more favorable, at $5.88.”