America’s Most Popular Beers, by Generation
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In this graphic we’ve visualized the most popular beers for each U.S. generation as of Q4 2023, according to a consumer survey conducted by YouGov.
The “popularity” metric represents the % of people who had a positive opinion of that beer. Note that YouGov surveys are conducted with a representative sample of 1,500 respondents.
Overview: Millennials
U.S. millennials appear to favor foreign beers, with the top five spots taken by Dutch (Heineken) or Mexican beers (Modelo, Corona).
| Beer | Popularity (%) |
|---|---|
| 🇳🇱 Heineken | 60 |
| 🇲🇽 Modelo | 59 |
| 🇲🇽 Corona | 59 |
| 🇲🇽 Corona Extra | 58 |
| 🇲🇽 Corona Light | 58 |
| 🇺🇸 White Claw | 56 |
| 🇮🇪 Guinness | 55 |
| 🇧🇪 Stella Artois | 55 |
| 🇺🇸 Budweiser | 54 |
| 🇺🇸 Miller | 54 |
While not exactly a beer, White Claws (which have a similar alcohol content) claimed sixth place. Hard seltzers have become very popular in recent years due to their variety of flavors, attractive packaging, and relatively low amount of carbs and calories.
Overview: Gen X
Gen X also has a strong preference for foreign beers, particularly Guinness (fun fact: Over 31 million Americans claim to be of Irish descent).
| Beer | Popularity (%) |
|---|---|
| 🇮🇪 Guinness | 57 |
| 🇳🇱 Heineken | 49 |
| 🇲🇽 Corona | 49 |
| 🇲🇽 Modelo | 47 |
| 🇺🇸 Samuel Adams | 47 |
| 🇧🇪 Stella Artois | 46 |
| 🇲🇽 Corona Extra | 45 |
| 🇲🇽 Corona Light | 44 |
| 🇺🇸 Blue Moon | 43 |
| 🇺🇸 Miller | 41 |
Two American beers that weren’t on Millennials’ top 10 list are Samuel Adams and Blue Moon.
Samuel Adams is the flagship brand of the Boston Beer Company, named after U.S. Founding Father Samuel Adams. On the other hand, Blue Moon is a Belgian-style witbier brewed by Molson Coors.
Overview: Baby Boomers
Boomers’ top 10 favorite beers are similar to Gen X, with a few key differences. One is the absence of Modelo, which ranked second and fourth for Millennials and Gen X, respectively.
Modelo (which became America’s best-selling beer in 2023) has focused its advertising efforts on sports, which may not reach Boomers as effectively as younger generations.
| Beer | Popularity (%) |
|---|---|
| 🇮🇪 Guinness | 49 |
| 🇳🇱 Heineken | 48 |
| 🇲🇽 Corona | 48 |
| 🇺🇸 Samuel Adams | 46 |
| 🇺🇸 Coors | 43 |
| 🇺🇸 Miller | 38 |
| 🇺🇸 Michelob Light | 38 |
| 🇺🇸 Miller Lite | 37 |
| 🇲🇽 Dos Equis | 37 |
| 🇧🇪 Stella Artois | 37 |
An interesting pick for Boomers is Dos Equis, which is produced by Heineken-owned Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery. The brand gained popularity for its “most interesting man in the world” commercials, which ran from 2006 to 2018.
See More Beer Graphics 🍺
Be sure to check out this graphic which breaks down global beer consumption by country.
