The Texas craft beer scene continues to improve and leading the pack is St. Arnold Brewery. Headquartered in Houston, St. Arnold is the oldest craft brewery in the state and the market leader in total output. Today, St. Arnold announced its production figures for the 2011 year and, once again, it reported an all- time record with 40,416 barrels of beer shipped.
St. Arnold has been growing at a fast clip for many years as more individuals discover its many distinctive products. A quick look back at previous year’s shipments reveals the consistent, rapid growth of the business:
Year Barrels Shipped
2007 17,811
2008 22,749
2009 25,710
2010 31,445
2011 40,416
As the above numbers indicate, St. Arnold added 8,971 barrels in 2011, representing a growth rate of about 28.5% from 2010 to 2011. In both percentage terms and in the number of barrels shipped, 2011 ranks among the best years in the companies history and if this percentage growth rate continues, St. Arnold will more than double its present size in just three more years.
Looking at shipments of individual brands, St. Arnold Fancy Lawnmower, a Great American Beer Festival winner, remains the company’s top seller, with a 42% increase in shipments from 2010. St. Arnold Amber Ale and St. Arnold Elissa IPA rank second and third respectively in 2011 and both enjoyed significant increases in total shipments. What is even more impressive is that ALL St. Arnold products, including seasonal and special edition releases, witnessed shipment increases in 2011. Even the best managed breweries in the nation usually have at least one laggard in the product lineup, so for St. Arnold to see all of its shipments increase for all brands is a remarkable achievement.
The large breweries are struggling to maintain market share and many of the big brand beers like Budweiser and Michelob are in decline, but the future looks bright at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. The business is well- positioned to further increase its production and experience yet another record breaking year in 2012.
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