U.S. Beer Sales Rank #1 on 4th of July

Industry Contributing Billions to Nation's Economy

BI Raising Awareness of Keg Theft this Holiday Weekend

Teaming up to Prevent Underage Drinking and Drunk Driving

WASHINGTON, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ? Celebrating our nation's
independence is a time-honored tradition, typically marked by barbeques,
fireworks -- and also, a cold beer.

Top Period for Beer Sales
Last year, July 4th was the biggest beer-selling holiday of the year, with
beer sales at supermarkets across the country topping 23 million cases during
the holiday period, according to The Nielsen Company. Beer sales during this
period also accounted for approximately 5.2 percent of total annual beer sales
in 2007, helping generate billions of dollars in economic activity for our
nation.

Major Economic Contributions
Rising sales of beer are contributing heftily to the U.S. economy - nearly
$190 billion, in fact. According to an economic impact study commissioned
jointly by the Beer Institute and the National Beer Wholesalers Association
(NBWA), the beer industry also contributes more than 1.7 million jobs paying
almost $55 billion in wages annually. The production of beer helps support
other segments of the economy as well. For example, the study showed more
than $4 billion in economic contributions for the agricultural sector,
including malting barley ($537.8 million), hops ($280.7 million), brewers rice
($222.9 million), and brewers corn ($58.4 million).

Promoting Responsibility
In addition to bolstering the U.S. economy, the beer industry devotes
considerable time and resources into campaigns that promote the responsible
consumption of its products. This summer, the Beer Institute again announced
its support for a federal government social responsibility campaign called "We
Don't Serve Teens" (WDST). The campaign aims to promote awareness among
parents, legal-age siblings and other adults - the primary sources of alcohol
for those under 21 - about the consequences of providing alcohol to minors.
More information can be found at the program's site, www.DontServeTeens.gov.

Due to the hard work of the beer industry, parents, law enforcement,
educators, federal and state alcohol beverage regulators, and other community
groups, illegal underage drinking and drunk driving have declined over the
past 25 years. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the
number of fatalities in drunk-driving crashes during the 4th of July holiday
has declined 31 percent since 1982. In addition, according to the federal
government's most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 83 percent of
adolescents, ages 12 to 17, are doing the right thing by not drinking.

Preventing Keg Theft
As beer consumption rises during the July 4th holiday, so does the problem of
keg theft. It is estimated that the beer industry loses more than 300,000 kegs
each year, primarily due to thieves seeking to sell them to scrap metal
dealers. Keg loss is a major financial burden for brewers and beer importers,
costing the industry more than $50 million each year.

"The Beer Institute has been quite successful in raising awareness about the
rising cost of keg theft to local businesses and consumers. Now, we're
cracking down on the problem and seeing real results," Beer Institute
President Jeff Becker said. "For example, since 2007 nearly 30 states have
passed keg loss or scrap metal legislation to prevent theft." Brewers are also
reminding retailers and bar owners to exercise vigilance this holiday weekend,
and secure any loose kegs on their property.

The complete Beer Serves America Economic Impact study, including
state-by-state and congressional district breakdowns of economic
contributions, is available at the Beer Serves America Web site,
www.beerservesamerica.org.

The Beer Institute, established in 1986, is the national trade association for
the brewing industry, representing both large and small brewers, as well as
importers and industry suppliers. The Institute is committed to the
development of sound public policy and to the values of civic duty and
personal responsibility: www.beerinstitute.org.

SOURCE The Beer Institute

Marc Destito, +1-202-777-3528, mdestito@clsdc.com, for The Beer Institute