Budget Beer Soon to be $4 a Pot

I saw this article in the Herald Sun tonight. The fact that the mainstream basic beers are approaching $4 a pot I glossed over but the really interesting piece was the following:

Costly premium imports are selling three times more than mainstream beer.

Industry figures reveal sales of the more expensive exotic brands grew 18 per cent in the past year, compared with an increase of 5 per cent in sales of mainstream local beers.

I'd like to think it's not just "exotic" brands but BETTER beer which is growing market share. Sure, some people are buying premium beers cause of the marketing crap but I also am CONVINCED more and more people are seeing that beer can offer so much more than the budget range. Hallelujah!

Incidentally, I drank the Moo Brew Imperial Stout tonight. Man, that's good stuff. I really would have liked to try the oak aged batch but the stuff I had tonight was brilliant.