Unusually Warm March Boosts Beer Profits

5/9/2012 9:52:40 AM

This past March, thousands of cities saw record-breaking heat. That atypical seasonal warmth has meant devastation for fruit crops in the Northeast and Michigan, but gave a good profit boost to milk production, and now, beer.

Photo courtesy of edwin.bautista

MillerCoors is reporting a significant increase, an underlying net income of 16.6 percent, in first quarter beer sales from the months of January to March. Tom Long, CEO for MillerCoors, cited the unusual March warmth as one of the reasons for the profit boost. Since most beer is usually sold during summer, the summer-like warmth in March across much of the country could help account for the spike in sales.

Weather can also affect the way beer is made. AccuWeather's Adrienne Veilleux explains.