Surprise: Bad Imported Beer Isn't Selling

Admittedly, I don't follow the beer business any more intensively than any other part of the food business. Still, I was surprised I didn't know this fact that I gleaned from recent coverage of the shrinking imports market: Just two beers—Heineken and Corona—make up nearly half of all imports to the United States.

It's a fact that has to cause eye-rolling among people who enjoy a decent beer. Heineken tastes like dish soap, and Corona doesn't reach even the quality level of a Miller High Life.

Both brands have taken hits as the import business shrinks. Of course, many beer drinkers are trying to save money, and that tends to wake them up from their marketing-induced haze to realize that they can easily switch from Corona to Miller. Also, the trend toward domestic craft beers continues to chisel into the imports' market shares. And the Wall Street Journal points out that the recent drop in imports (a swoon-inducing 19 percent in the first two months of the year) is partly due to distributors shrinking their inventories to improve cash flow.

But such financial factors reverse themselves in time. The overall trend for imports is down, especially for the market leaders.

John Foyston of the Oregonian's blog The Beer Here wrote about Corona, by far the biggest-selling import: "Lucky that this pale yellow fizz water had almost no flavor to begin with, because that clear bottle allows it to get light-struck and skunky under fluorescents, never mind the bright sun."

Still, some industry analysts say that one of the reasons for Corona's being eclipsed is a successful new product from Anheuser-Busch InBev: Bud Light Lime. In fairness, I've never tried it. But I have tried Bud Light, so I still feel safe in declaring it awful. My tastes mean nothing, however: Bud Light Lime debuted only in May and yet managed to outsell Corona Light for the entirety of 2008.

There does seem to be some hope for American taste, however. Albeit with a relatively tiny market share, Stella Artois (also from Anheuser-Busch InBev) gained more than 13 percent. And Corona rival Dos Equis, a decent enough brew, gained 27.6 percent, the most among the Top 10 imports.