Brewing SUCCESS: Craft beer makers enjoy strong sales growth while overall industry goes flat

Chalk up a win for David over Goliath. While sales of megabrewers’ offerings are flatter than a day-old Bud, small craft breweries have become the stoutest segment of the $87 billion U.S. beer industry.

Just as consumers have developed new cravings for artisanal food, so are beer drinkers forsaking mainstream suds for hoppy India Pale Ales, German-style wheat beers and Belgian-style ales brewed here in the U.S.

‘‘It’s part of the general ‘premiumization’ of consumer goods in America,’’ said Charlie Storey, vice president of marketing for Boston’s Harpoon Brewery. ‘‘We have gourmet popcorn now, and ice cream and mustard, which you wouldn’t have expected 20 years ago.’’

While craft beer shipments have grown by nearly 30 percent since 2003, overall beer shipments have grown just 2 percent, according to data compiled by Beer Marketer’s Insights Inc.

The Brewers Association, a Boulder, Colo-based industry group, defines craft beers as those brewed at small, independent breweries with only barley malts as opposed to cheaper substitutes such as rice and corn. At the end of 2006, there were nearly 1,400 craft breweries in the U.S. churning out a rapidly multiplying selection of beer styles.

‘‘People are looking for more flavors and new and different flavors and that fits perfectly with what craft brewers are doing with seasonal releases,’’ said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. ‘‘You’re going to get new flavors on the shelf every three months.’’

Local craft brewers have shared in the sector’s gains.

The Boston Beer Co., brewers of Samuel Adams, shipped 1.6 million barrels in 2006, a 17 percent increase over the previous year. The South Boston-based company, which is considering building a new brewery in Freetown, posted a profit of $18.2 million, up 17 percent from 2005.

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