The beer-guzzling Homer Simpsons of America are losing ground to the country's cocktail-sipping Carrie Bradshaws.

Between 1995 and 2003, the proportion of beer sales in the alcohol market dropped 2.8 percent, according to Beer Marketer's Insights, a trade magazine.

Eric Shepard, executive editor of the magazine, said the emerging "Sex and the City cocktail culture" is among the reasons for the decline in beer's popularity.

"A culture was changing slightly that was more prone to trying a cocktail or an apple martini," Shepard said. As people gravitated toward cosmopolitans, they moved away from beer.

In 1995, beer sales accounted for 59.5 percent of all alcohol sales. By 2003, the most recent year with available statistics, beer sales accounted for 56.7 percent, he said.

"It's not a huge amount of movement, but basically the reason is wine and liquor have become more popular," he said. "The spirits industry has become more aggressive and savvy, a little hipper."

The cocktail culture can be detrimental to the beer industry if the cocktail-sippers include what Shepard said is traditionally the biggest group of beer consumers: drinkers between 21 and 27.

According to Shepard, brewers assumed the first alcoholic beverage people in this age group would drink is beer.

"I think that assumption turned out to be wrong," he said. "A surprising number of those people maybe didn't start with beer."

Katie Wanamaker, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is among those steering away from beer.

"Beer is disgusting," she said. "Guys like the cold beer … I don't know what it is."

Wanamaker's perception is supported by Shepard, who finds that there is indeed somewhat of a gender gap that determines drinking habits.

"I would say the brewers have failed miserably in marketing to women, to the point of insulting them instead of marketing to them," he said.

Wanamaker said she did not find beer advertisements particularly offensive, but they definitely targeted a male market. She said she usually drinks what she already has, but sees how alcohol advertisements could be influential.

"Who would you rather be, the beer belly guy or the hot, trendy person drinking a cosmo?" she said.

College of Communication senior Eddie Byrd said beer is his alcoholic beverage of choice, but advertising did not play a role in his decision.

"I just drink it because it's generally cheap and it tastes all right," Byrd said.

As long as people like Byrd keep drinking beer, some brewers say they are not too concerned about the movement toward wine and other liquors.

Dave Bass, the brewer at Rock Bottom Brewery, 740 N. Plankinton Ave., said he has not noticed people ordering less beer.

"I'm sure I'll still have a job," he said.

However, Shepard said some brewers are showing concern about the trend and focusing on ways to get beer customers back. He said it is too soon to determine exactly what efforts they are making and how effective they will be.

In the meantime, the Carrie Bradshaws will keep sipping their cocktails and Byrd will continue to drink beer.

"The cocktail thing seems to be more of a girl thing," Byrd said.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Jan. 27 2005.