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A-B: Lagers Continue Reign as America's Most Preferred Beer Type

ST. LOUIS -- Beer drinkers still toast lagers as their favorite brew type, according to a new survey conducted by Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. and KRC Research just in time for National Lager Day on Dec. 10.

The National Lager Day survey found that beer drinkers prefer lager over ales by a wide margin, with lager's crisp flavor cited as the prime reason by the majority of respondents.

Other key findings of the survey of more than 600 beer-drinking Americans aged 21 and older include:

  • Beer drinkers prefer lager two-to-one over pale ales, and three-to-one over IPAs and stouts.
     
  • Two-thirds of beer drinkers prefer the crisp flavor of lager over beers with bitter, sweet or fruity flavors.
     
  • Beer in a glass bottle is the most-preferred serving style, with 38 percent of survey respondents favoring it, followed by 32 percent who want their beer on draught.

"It's great to see excitement for lagers reaffirmed through the survey results," said Pete Kraemer, head brewmaster for Anheuser-Busch. "They are the most challenging beers to brew, but also the most rewarding. There is nothing I enjoy more than the light, refined flavor complexity of an American lager. And I encourage everyone to raise a toast to America's favorite beer style on National Lager Day."

Anheuser-Busch is celebrating National Lager Day by having the mobile Budweiser Brewmaster Tour stop in New York City the night before. Brewmasters will lead guests on a tour through five brewing zones and provide sampling opportunities at Pier 86 at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 9.

"Lagers have a crisper, cleaner taste than traditional ales and require an immense amount of attention during the brewing process," Kraemer noted. "For our brewmasters, the ultimate measure of quality is taste, which is why we taste every batch of beer at every step in the process. The consistent quality of Budweiser and Bud Light are a testament to the talent and training of our brewmasters."

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