Class in a glass: the poshest beers revealed

October 09, 2015, 11:04 AM GMT+0

Peroni tops the list of lagers beloved by the upper and middle classes - with Carlsberg and Carling at the bottom of the league

Whether the different brands of lager available at the pub are considered ‘posh’ or not has been a hotly contested marketing war for decades. Stella Artois even changed it’s motto to ‘reassuringly expensive’ in an effort to appeal to upscale customers.

A new analysis of data from YouGov Profiles can finally settle the argument about which lagers are most beloved by the middle class.

Peroni is by some distance the lager of the upper and middle classes with almost exactly half (50%) of its customers being in the AB social group. Heineken is their second choice with 45% of its drinkers being in the top two social grades.

The second tier includes Kronenbourg, Beck’s, Budweiser and Stella that all have between 36% and 39% of their customers in the upper and middle classes.

Down at the bottom of the lager league, with the smallest percentage of middle class customers, are Fosters, Carling and Carlsberg.

The alcohol industry in general – and lager brands in particular – is increasingly competitive. With new craft beer micro beer breweries appearing at an unprecedented rate and real ale experiencing a revival, there is more pressure than ever for lagers to sharpen their appeal among their key target demographics.