Beer Victorians drank in lockdown 2020

Carlton Draught in Cranbourne, Little Creatures in Point Cook and Corona in the city— here’s the beer Victorians raised a glass to in 2020.

Tradies Kobe Timms, Ollie Amici and Craig Trahair have a knock-off Carlton Draught after a long day on the tools. Picture: Mark Stewart.

Carlton Draught was a hit with beer drinkers in Cranbourne and Lyndhurst in lockdown, while in Point Cook and Sunshine they drank Mountain Goat, Little Creatures and James Squire.

Dan Murphy’s sales data for 2020 has revealed what beers Victorians consumed the most in the last 12 months.

One brand was so popular it remains in short supply.

Victorians getting back on the beers may have inadvertently led to a nationwide shortage of Corona Extra Dry in November.

Supply of the Mexican lager dried up in bottle shops due to an unprecedented thirst for the beer that shares a name with the virus that defined 2020.

Dan Murphy's has revealed the top-selling beers in Melbourne suburbs, with Carlton Draught a favourite in Melbourne’s outer south east. Picture: Mark Stewart

But Dan Murphy’s beer merchandise manager Jarrod Holt said Victorians still favoured Aussie-brewed beers.

“In the last year, and especially since COVID, we’ve seen an increasing number of customers choose Australian-made beers,” he said.

Byron Bay’s Stone and Wood Pacific Ale was one of the fastest growing beer brands in Melbourne’s east and outer south eastern suburbs including Endeavour Hills, Oakleigh, Glen Waverley, Chadstone, Doncaster, Belmont and Vermont South.

The golden hazy pacific ale was also a hit regionally, with those in Ballarat reaching for a can.

Mountain Goat, Little Creatures and James Squire were the most bought beers in Ascot Vale, Point Cook and Sunshine stores in Melbourne’s west and north, with sales of Moon Dog, Kaiju and Burleigh Brewing Co on the rise.

Outer Melbourne suburbs and regional cities such as Ballarat, Echuca, Bendigo, Warrnambool and Traralgon stuck to classic brands they knew and trusted — like Carlton Draught, Great Northern and Bluey.

However, beer lovers closer to the city in Collingwood and Brunswick East weren’t afraid to experiment with craft beers like Moon Dog, Stomping Ground and Mountain Goat.

CBD residents had a taste for international labels with Corona, Asahi, Heineken and Sol flying off the shelves of Dan Murphy’s QV store.

Coastal areas such as the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsula, saw a demand for locally-made beers from St Andrews Beach Brewery, Jetty Road and Mornington Brewery.

The data was collated from Dan Murphy’s highest selling beer products across a selection of its Victorian stores over the past 12 months.

VIRUS TAKES TOLL ON CORONA AS SUPPLIES DRY UP

Corona Extra Dry beer sales have been so strong this year it has led to a nationwide shortage.

As Australians battled through the coronavirus pandemic, they drank so much of the Mexican-brewed lager buying limits were imposed for customers and retailers alike.

Some wholesalers capped retailers at 10 cases, while bottle shops that still had Corona in-stock placed a limit of two cases per customer.

Corona brand manager Shencina Conway said sales were stronger than expected.

“Demand for several of our most well-known beers has been strong over the past few months as consumers turn to the familiar, and Corona beer is no exception,” she said.

Carlton and United Breweries, which imports the beer, told in November of the Australia-wide shortage.

“The shortages are due to a recent increase in demand along with supply issues stemming from COVID-19,” a spokesman said. “These include production delays in Mexico, shipping congestion and issues at Australian ports.”

John Teim, owner of Moorabbin’s Grape and Grain Liquor Cellars, said wholesalers had placed a 10-case limit on the beer for retailers, but he was not largely affected by the shortage.

“I mainly sell it to cricket clubs … we specialise more in selling craft beer,” he said.

Burnley Brewing co-owner Phil Gijsbers said the spike in Corona beer sales was laughed about in craft beer circles.

“My feeling (behind the shortage) is 20 million people wanted to take the mickey and have a bit of a laugh about something this year,” he said.

“That’s what beer drinkers do, we’re lighthearted and don’t take things too seriously.

“While I’m more of an independent beer fan myself, I’d happily take a selfie drinking a Corona at a barbecue with mates.”