Business Notes Beer

The stereotypical American beer lover has long been the brawny, blue-collar worker who likes to guzzle a few Budweisers or Millers after a hard day on the assembly line. In recent years, though, beer fans have included more and more suds-sipping connoisseurs who appreciate the taste of fine foreign brews like Heineken and Beck's. Since 1980, U.S. consumption of imported beer has risen 58%, compared with 1.3% for domestic brands. Though imports still account for less than 5% of the U.S. market, American brewers are responding to the heightened competition. Heileman, for example, is building a new plant to brew German-style beer.

Trying a different strategy, Coors is taking on two foreign brewers as partners. Last week Masters Beer, which is jointly produced by Coors, Canada's Molson Breweries and West Germany's Kaltenberg, went on sale. Coors brews Masters at its Golden, Colo., plant using a recipe formulated by the three partners. Initially, the beer will be available only in Boston, Miami, Washington and Columbus. Priced 25 cents higher per six-pack than American superpremium beers like Michelob, Masters is likely to be a brew for an upscale restaurant rather than a neighborhood tavern.