Lager sales are falling as drinkers choose more sophisticated options, according to market researchers Mintel.
UK lager sales have fallen by 5% since 2005, according to Mintel, and the firm predicts that they will fall by another 8% by 2012.
Source
I heard this on the radio this morning.
What it doesn?t mention in the article is what the more sophisticated drinks are?
On the radio it said that lager drinkers are changing to more sophisticated drinks ?like cider and rose wine?. 
It has more to do with people's reluctance to drink in pubs etc because of:
(i) Drink Drive Laws (no complaints about those)
(ii) Fewer and fewer pubs that actually are not over run with children
(iii) Fewer and fewer pubs over all
PLUS
Lager out of a bottle from the offy is no substitute for several pints in a good pub but as more people chose to drink at home then they will naturally gravitate toward "sophisticated" drinks such as wine, spirits etc. Perhaps we will even see the return of the Cocktail Hour.
What is for sure there are fewer pubs now than for many years and with the anti-smoking legislation now biting hard there will be even fewer next year.
