Beer’s crafty future

For more than three decades, Anheuser-Busch InBev held an exclusive deal as the only brewer to broadcast advertisements for the Super Bowl. Next month, viewers also will see commercials from Molson Coors and possibly other beermakers for the first time since 1989 because Anheuser-Busch InBev elected not to renew its deal. The end of the exclusivity era could be considered a metaphor for the beer market. Although the largest brewers still ship billions of cases annually, per the National Beer Wholesalers Association, consumer preferences are turning away from mass-produced labels and toward craft offerings, imports and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.