In the face of pricing and potentia...

In the face of pricing and potential regulation changes, the beer/malternative category managed to maintain extension during the past year.

Malternative beverages and imports took the industry by means of storm in 2002, with malternatives garnering the highest percent increase in sales among all beer categories. Although sales started high and waned as the year went upon the malternatives category experienced a 238 percent increase in convolution and 30.3 percent increase in retail sales during the past year, according to Information Resources Inc., Chicago.

Malt-based beverages picked up 1 percentage point of dollar share and accounted for more than