The term Premium Beer (also referred to as "Premium Ale" or "Premium Lager") describes a category of beer, ale, or lager distinguishable by flavor profile, quality, alcohol by volume, rarity, and/or production process.^[1][2][3]

The concept of "premium" differs from the concepts of craft beer (which describes various styles of beer brewing and production); or draught ("draft") beer (which describes a style of serving, i.e. "served on draft"), as the concept of "premium" beer also encompasses various social elements of consumption.^[2][4]

Two definitions of the "premium" classification are most common.^[5] In colloquial settings, the definition of "premium" typically revolves around elements symbolic of quality and/or status, such as price, flavor, and/or brand value.^[2] In this definition, even a beverage with low alcohol content may be "premium" if socially viewed as such.^[4][6]

Within the beer industry, however, a more formal rule of thumb has emerged, which focuses on alcohol by volume.^[2] Any beer above 5.0%; any lager above 4.5%; and any ale above 4.2% can be deemed "premium."^[4] In this definition, a beverage may be low-priced and lack flavor, yet still be premium due to AbV composition.^[4]

Super Premium Beer

Within the beer industry, many have gone on to use terms such as "super premium"^[7][8] (and other similar neologisms), modeled after the liquor industry, in which the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) classifies spirits by four categories: Standard, Premium, High-End Premium, and Super Premium. ^[9][10][11]

In the beer and lager industry these classifications are routinely used as marketing efforts,^[1][12] rather than official classifications, due to the informal definition of "premium" status within the industry.^[5][13]

Generally, however, brands which possess all three elements of high alcohol by volume (typically ≥5%), above average pricing, and strong brand value and reputation, are considered to be consensus premium, with the status of "super"^[14] or even "ultra" premium being used for brands that trend further above the mean in these three criteria.^[15][16]

Examples of brands frequently included in the premium, super-premium, and/or ultra-premium categories on various bases include: Heineken,^[2] Sierra Nevada,^[2] Samuel Adams,^[2] Red Stripe,^[6] Corona Extra,^[6] Miller Genuine Draft,^[6] Michelob,^[6] and others.

References