Americans may love kicking back with beer, but times are tough. That's why an increasing number of beer drinkers are swapping their microbrews for what are called "subpremium" beers [1] in the beverage industry.

Anheuser-Busch [2] has reported that its brands Busch and Natural Light have seen upticks in sales. Other beers — from Miller High Life to Milwaukee's Best to Hamm's to Keystone — have also been attracting a larger percentage of consumers.

To the beer industry's dismay, the increase in subpremium beer sales is happening at the expense of its higher-end beers, such as Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft. Said one MillerCoors wholesaler: "I'm selling way more economy brands than I'm comfortable with . . . consumers are trading down."

Is this the case for you? Have you also been purchasing less costly beer options?

Source [3]