A beer ad from 1959, when Budweiser was king: Sales of the full-calorie American brew fell 30 percent between 2005 and 2010.

CC BY: juxtapozerz

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mericans are still swilling plenty of beer, but their tastes are changing. Sales of Budweiser, long America's best-selling brew, are on the decline as beer drinkers opt for imports, low-calorie options, and craft beers. Bud is just one of several once-popular beers, with American branding if not ownership, that have seen "staggering" losses in recent years. Here, a brief guide to the shift, by the numbers:

30
Percent decline in Budweiser sales from 2005 to 2010. Sales of the lower calorie Bud Light, on the other hand, held steady during that same period

7 million
Decrease in the number of barrels sold — a "massive loss"

145
Calories in a can of Budweiser

110
Calories in a can of Bud Light

8
Number of America's 23 largest selling beer brands that saw a 30 percent or greater decline from 2005 to 2010

72
Percent loss experienced by Michelob during that time, the greatest of any beer brand

1.9 million
Increase in the number of beer barrels across all brands sold from 2005 to 2010

10 million
Decrease in the number of barrels sold of the top 20 beer brands, suggesting that Americans are increasingly choosing to drink imported or craft beers

Over 250
Number of beer brands, including American stalwarts like Budweiser, Michelob, and Busch, that are owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, a Belgian-Brazilian beer company. InBev acquired the American company, Anheuser-Busch, for a cool $52 billion in 2008, creating the world's largest beer concern.

$555 million
Amount the company spent on advertising in 2010, according to Advertising Age

78
Number of years the Budweiser Clydesdales have been associated with the brand Budweiser. There were introduced in 1933 to celebrate the end of national Prohibition

20.8
Number of gallons of beers chugged by the average American consumer in 2010, making it the nation's most popular alcoholic beverage

44.7
Number of gallons of carbonated soda sipped by the average American consumer in 2010

28.3 gallon
Number of gallons of water the average American consumer drank in 2010

Sources: Advertising Age, Daily Mail, Drink America, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal