Bearded craft brewers, take heed: It’s no easy feat dethroning the king of beers.Most Americans believe Budweiser is a high quality brew they would recommend to a friend -- even over a craft beer -- according to a survey published in a UBS Group AG note Thursday. That’s consoling news for owner Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, which has seen Bud’s U.S. market share decline for several years now as smaller brewers gain favor. Less than half of drinkers say the quality of craft beers is superior to established brands like Bud and Bud Light, and about half believe old-school brews are superior to newer types, the survey of 1,200 regular alcohol drinkers found. “Encouragingly for AB InBev, heritage brands are more strongly associated with quality” than craft brands, UBS analyst Nik Oliver said in a note. UBS expects AB InBev brands to return to growth in the U.S. next year.
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