Group’s Members Described as Responsible, Educated : Learning Who the Beer Drinkers of America Are

A survey by Beer Drinkers of America, a nonprofit consumer education and advocacy organization, shows that its average member owns a home, considers himself family-oriented and has a college education.

The survey also found that Beer Drinkers of America members represent many professions and include business executives, doctors, skilled laborers and retirees.

“The survey supports what we’ve been saying all along about our members and the majority of America’s estimated 80 million beer drinkers,” said Paul Fagan, executive director of Beer Drinkers of America. “That is, they are respectable, mature adults who responsibly consume their beverage of choice.”

Beer Drinkers of America is open to people 21 and older. The organization says it has more than 20,000 dues-paying members.

The survey was conducted in August by Arnold Steinberg and Associates Inc., a survey research and marketing firm in Sherman Oaks. The survey included telephone interviews with 403 adults--353 men and 50 women--in California, Arizona and Colorado. All respondents belong to Beer Drinkers of America.

The largest single bloc of respondents--25%--are retirees. Sixteen percent are skilled laborers; 10% are managers and executives; 7% are teachers and nurses, and 8% are attorneys, doctors and accountants. Three percent are unskilled workers. The remaining 31% represent occupations such as police officers and firefighters, farm managers, sales representatives and clerks.

Seventy-seven percent of the respondents own homes, and 69% are married. More than half--56%--said they either hold college degrees or have completed some college.

An overwhelming majority--82%--said they consider themselves family-oriented, and 86% said they are outdoors-oriented. Ninety-one percent describe themselves as patriotic.

Eighty-seven percent describe themselves as sports fans, and football was easily the respondents’ favorite viewing sport, with 73% saying they watch it very often.

As for total family income, members of the largest bloc of respondents--26%--said they make between $30,000 and $45,000 annually.

Four percent of the respondents said they are between 21 and 24 years old, 24% between 25 and 34 years old, 19% between 35 and 44, 17% between 45 and 54, 22% between 55 and 64, and 14% are 65 and older. Two percent declined to state their ages.

Respondents listed a variety of reasons for joining Beer Drinkers of America. Members of the largest group--24%--said they joined because of the organization’s efforts to prevent additional beer excise taxes. Others said they joined because of the “Party Smart” education project.

As a consumer education and advocacy organization, Beer Drinkers of America distributes material about alcohol issues. The organization says it also works to prevent regressive beer excise taxes and discriminatory legislation.