Ten Most Common Beer Brands in the World

In recent decades, beer has maintained an enviable position ahead of wine and spirit as the most commonly consumed drink worldwide. This success is attributed to some factors, such as its relatively cheap price, easy accessibility, and low alcoholic content.

Due to its widespread acceptance, many beer brands out there capitalize on its acceptability to make lots of money. However, in every competition, some participants, thanks to their quality, go top and ahead of their rivals.

In 2017 alone, the beer market recorded foreign profits of over $500 billion. Also, statistics released by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, showed that the first 50 foreign beer brands were responsible for over 45% of beer sales recorded. What may be surprising for some people are some unpopular brand names that occupy these spots. There may be the likelihood you had not come across it in your society, especially if they are not a major player in your area. However, that does not make them minor players or unpopular brands elsewhere.

The beer brands here are ranked with respect to their volumes of sales over the past couple of years, as determined by GlobalData Consumer. The volume of sales has a relationship with attributes such as popularity. And that’s because only common commodities record huge volumes of sales. So that is the yardstick for the ranking of the most common beer brands in the world.

10. Corona

When you are not in Mexico, it is hard not to see a squeezed Corona beer plastic can laying around, most especially if you are in neighboring countries of the USA and Canada. At Corona, beer importation records reached a tremendous height in 2017. Constellation Brands, an outfit responsible for marketing, importation, and distribution of Corona beer in the United States, officially stated that beer sales increased by 10% for the year 2017. However, this was allegedly attributed to a recent interest in Mexican beer in the United States.

Corona’s hectoliters forecast in 2017 was 28 million.

9. Yanjing

This spot goes to the Chinese Brewster. During the first and second quarters of 2018, they released a statement of HK$6.64 billion income or a sum of over $840 million. In contrast with the previous year, it meant an increase of over 8.8%.

Yanjing’s hectoliters forecast in 2017 was 29.6 million.

8. Tsingtao

The brand sells more commonly in China than anywhere else. In fact, it is so common that it is offered in 640-milliliter bottles with a cup of ice, and also consumed by using a straw to sip it from a sack. In August 2018, Tsingtao stated that its revenues had increased by 13.4%.

Tsingtao’s hectoliters forecast in 2018 was 49 million.

7. Keystone Light

Affiliated to Molson Coors Brewing Company, Keystone, alongside five other light rated beers, exported no less than 2.5 million barrels in the United States in 2017. Even in that regard, Keystone Light stood ahead of its peers. Its export soared higher than the 2016 records, unlike its peers, who either remained relatively stagnant, improved a little, or greatly dropped. That certainly indicates that Keystone Light cans and bottles are becoming more common.

Each bottle of Keystone Light contains about 100 calories. The brand also performed better than other Keystone beer brands in the market.

6. Heineken

Arguably the most recognizable beer brand in the world. It originated from the Netherlands, where it has been brewed for over a hundred years. With long years of massive success and relevance in the industry, Heineken has cemented its place as one of the most common beer brands in the world.

On record, they shipped about 3.8 million barrels of beer in 2018.

5. Modelo Especial

It is reputed to be a rapidly growing brand in recent years. For instance, 2007 witnessed the export of about 1.5 million barrels of Modelo Especial by Constellation Brands to the United States. One decade after, Constellation Brands exported 7.2 million barrels of the same beer brand.

Modelo Especial is leaping in bounds and has familiarized itself with the American beer consuming societies. The beer is sold in bottles, as well as cans, and is arguably the most common can beer in its country home, Mexico.

4. Budweiser

One of the oldest beer brands in the world, they fermented their first-ever beer in 1876. Ever since, they have successfully sold their products in over 71 countries and consistently built an excellent reputation for their brand over the years.

The consistency and reputation come with some pride. Budweiser takes much pride in being, according to them, “beechwood aged.” The phrase is about incorporating particles of beechwood into beer containers. These particles enhance the fermentation process by ensuring that there’s enough contact between the yeast and the beer during the lagering process. The entire process is conducted to inhibit the formation of certain fermentation products that may add unwanted taste to the beer.

Recently, Budweiser displaced Bud Light as the most valuable beer brand in the world. Thanks to its successful partnership with the organizers of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Budweiser engineered a campaign that extended its global reach and won over new markets.  

Budweiser exported 13.3 million barrels of beer in 2017 and had a market share of 6.2% in that same year.

3. Busch Light

It was brewed to be a light alternative to Busch and a beer for light-heads. The alcoholic content is 4.1%, a little of 0.2% drop from that of Busch ( 4.3% ). In attaching credence to its Light name, every 12-ounce that ships from their plant contains only 95 calories and 3.2g of carbohydrate.

Their 2018 market share is 3.0%, and they successfully shipped 6,200,000 barrels of beer in 2018.

2. Coors Light

Decades ago, this beer used to dominate a few areas of Western U.S., putting in place a loyalty among consumers that other beer brands continuously failed to crack open. Some few decades afterward, this beer brand made its way to other parts of the U.S. and became the unofficial choice beer for Americans by 1991. However, today they have lost that spot to Bud Light.

Statistically, Coors Light market share is 7.7%, and 16.5 million barrels were exported in 2017.

1. Bud Light

Although it recently lost its spot to Budweiser as the most popular beer brand in the world, Bud Light remains a heavyweight in the brewing business.  Ever since this beer broke into national markets across the U.S. in 1982, they became a major competitor and are unarguably Americans’ number one choice beer brand.

Over 32 million barrels of Bud Light were shipped in 2017 by Anheuser-Busch InBev, surpassing the second most shipped beer brand, Coors Light, by a whopping 15.5 million barrels. Analysts portray Bud Light beer as a thin, runny liquid that is quite nourishing.

There are many other common beer brands in the world. The popularity of these brands is constantly reviewed for emerging competitors who may displace them. These beer brands are common because they have been widely acknowledged by their consumers to be nourishing and satisfactory.

In any case, if you are passionate about beer brewing and would like to establish multinational beer brands someday, you can first know the steps involved in setting up a craft brewery, then continue from there. It is from little things that those big things emerge.