Shared research study link

Pabst Brewing Consumer Study

Understanding how US beer consumers perceive heritage budget-friendly brands like PBR

Study Overview Updated Jan 21, 2026

Research question: How do US beer consumers perceive heritage budget-friendly brands like PBR, what drives casual-beer choice (price vs taste vs brand image), and when do they reach for PBR versus craft
Research group: 18 responses from 6 US consumers (ages 27–53) across rural/small-town and urban markets (e.g., Austin, CA, PA), spanning trades/blue-collar, office/compliance, and bilingual Latinx perspectives
What they said: PBR is a dependable, low-cost “utility” lager-acceptable only ice-cold, with a thin/corny profile that falls apart warm; brand meaning is split between blue-collar nostalgia and hipster irony, and overall sentiment is pragmatic rather than passionate
Notable divergences: Latinx occasions (micheladas, carne asada), military/barracks affordability, and urban critiques of “performative retro”/gentrification add charged context beyond simple utility

Main insights: Price and taste are the primary, roughly equal drivers; brand image is a distant third unless it risks “cringe,” and temperature is a hard gate to trial and repeat; PBR wins high-volume, mixed-company moments (coolers, tailgates, yardwork, dive bars), while craft is reserved for slower, flavor-first occasions
PBR’s role is a budget workhorse and “no-fuss” social signal, with success hinging on cold availability and value-pack price thresholds (commonly cited: under $18 for a 12-pack, under $25 for a 24); retro-cool reads as performative for many and can backfire
Clear takeaways: Double down on cold-first, no-fuss authenticity; protect price guardrails on core packs; prioritize high-volume occasions and dive-bar tallboy deals with a cold guarantee; activate bilingual michelada cross-merch and community events; support “keep it cold” at-home with koozies/ice add-ons; lean into blue-collar and crew/military rituals while avoiding hipster-cosplay cues

Participant Snapshots

Stack all

6 profiles

Jennifer Moreno

Jennifer Moreno, 53, is a bilingual Puerto Rican-heritage professional on the rural outskirts of Erie, PA. Married with two kids, she works in community credit union operations, prioritizes value, reliability, inclusion, budgets carefully, and enjoys photog…

Suzette Stephanos

Suzette Stephanos, bilingual Austin hospital professional, 33, married with no kids, e-bikes to a hospital job, plant-forward cook, Hindu by choice, values-driven, privacy-conscious, and pragmatic about time, budgets, and sustainable, reliable tools.

Juan Rubio

Juan Rubio is a bilingual 31-year-old gas-station assistant manager in Merced, CA. He is a single homeowner, budget-conscious, sends remittances, commutes by scooter or walking. Values transparency, durability, and Spanish support; enjoys soccer, DIY, and l…

Travis Jennings

Travis Jennings is a 32-year-old Jackson, MS automotive tech and church volunteer. He rents, rides a motorcycle, restores an ’87 C10, budgets carefully, and values reliability, community, and straight talk. Warm, practical, and lightly witty; loyal to brand…

Matthew Bosland

Rural New Jersey construction project manager, 35, married with three kids. Pragmatic, family-centered, and time-strapped. Values durability, clear communication, and ROI. Light social media, heavy on tools and checklists. Prefers proven, warranty-backed so…

Christopher Gavlik

Disciplined 27-year-old Navy veteran in rural Connecticut, now in the Reserve and pivoting to cybersecurity. Practical, faith-driven, budget-aware, and outdoorsy. Values reliability, privacy, and clear value over hype; avoids hidden fees and gimmicks.

Jennifer Moreno

Suzette Stephanos

Juan Rubio

Travis Jennings

Matthew Bosland

Christopher Gavlik

Overview 0 participants

Sex / Gender

Race / Ethnicity

Locale (Top)

Occupations (Top)

Demographic Overview No agents selected

Age bucket	Male count	Female count

Participant locations No agents selected

Participant Incomes US benchmark scaled to group size

Income bucket	Participants	US households

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 ACS 1-year (Table B19001; >$200k evenly distributed for comparison)

Media Ingestion

Connections appear when personas follow many of the same sources, highlighting overlapping media diets.

Questions and Responses

Stack all

3 questions

Response Summaries

Stack all

3 questions

Word Cloud

Persona Correlations

Overview

Across the 18 respondents, PBR functions overwhelmingly as a utility, situational lager: a low‑cost, cold, crowd‑oriented beer purchased for volume and low cognitive effort rather than for nuanced flavor. Temperature ("ice cold") is a near-universal sensory gate - cold PBR is acceptable; warm PBR is frequently rejected. Demographics matter most where social context, cultural use cases, and local signaling intersect with price sensitivity. Working‑class and trade‑oriented men treat PBR as ritualized after‑work or crew beer; Latinx, Spanish‑speaking respondents frame it around mixed or communal use (micheladas, carne asada) where price and coldness outweigh taste nuance. Higher‑income urban respondents interpret PBR’s retro cachet as performative or gentrifying; this produces annoyance rather than aspiration for some. Across incomes, PBR’s role as "stock/cooler filler" is consistent - income predicts buying power but not the situational role the brand plays.

Total responses: 18

Key Segments

Segment	Attributes	Insight	Supporting Agents
Blue‑collar / trades-oriented men (late 20s–mid 30s, rural/small town)	age 27–35 occupations: maintenance, construction, trades locale: rural/small town (e.g., Jackson, NJ/CT) income: mid to high but socially trade‑oriented	PBR is embedded in work/leisure rituals (mowing, jobsite, tailgate, bonfire). Purchase decision is contextual: buy by the case for groups, prioritize cans for portability and coldness, and accept taste as functional rather than premium. Nostalgic, 'lawnmower' language signals identity alignment - the beer supports social bonding more than personal taste expression.	Travis Jennings, Matthew Bosland, Christopher Gavlik
Latinx / Spanish‑speaking communal consumers (age ~31, CA/TX and other markets)	age ~31 locale: Merced / Austin areas language: Spanish / bilingual social context: family cookouts, carne asada, communal gatherings income: mid ($40k–$110k)	PBR is acceptable as a mixing or volume beer for culturally specific use cases (micheladas, carne asada). Price thresholds and coldness trump nuanced flavor; however, physiological tolerance (some report bloating/headache) can limit consumption beyond utility. The brand is functional for large gatherings where cost-per-head matters.	Juan Rubio, Suzette Stephanos
Young urban professionals (higher income, bilingual, culturally sensitive - e.g., Austin)	age ~33 city: Austin occupation: professional (health informatics) income: higher (~$110k) language: Spanish / bilingual cultural sensitivity: gentrification awareness	Views PBR simultaneously as utility and a performative prop. High sensitivity to local gentrification and 'hipster' appropriation makes retro positioning risky; the brand can read as inauthentic or a symbol of cultural cosplay. PBR will be chosen situationally (cheap, cold), but brand signaling can actively deter when associated with cringe or gentrifying environment.	Suzette Stephanos
Older, lower‑income Hispanic female household buyer (50+, <$50k)	age 50+ income: <$50k occupation: office/compliance locale: Erie, PA language: Spanish	Sees PBR pragmatically as an affordable, crowd‑sized option for large gatherings. Price and immediate cold taste are primary drivers; brand image is largely irrelevant unless it signals embarrassment. The beer’s value is transactional - low unit price and ability to serve many people matters most.	Jennifer Moreno
High‑income construction/management buyer (mid‑30s, high household income)	age mid‑30s occupation: project manager / commercial construction income: high (~$235k) locale: rural NJ social frame: crew/party host	Despite high personal income, he applies the same utility calculus when buying for groups: explicit price ceilings and bulk purchasing for crew events. This shows context and role (host/stocking for workforce) drive PBR purchase behavior more than disposable income.	Matthew Bosland
Value‑seeking occasional consumer who reacts negatively to PBR physiologically	reports of gas, headache after >2 beers uses PBR situationally but is limited by physical response likely Latinx respondent	For a minority, physiological reactions constrain repeat consumption even in low‑cost, high‑volume contexts; this subgroup will accept PBR for single‑occasion mixing but avoid it for extended drinking sessions.	Juan Rubio

Shared Mindsets

Trait	Signal	Agents
PBR as utility / crowd stock	Across income and region, respondents most commonly place PBR in a stock/cooler role - chosen for gatherings, groups, or situations where volume and price matter more than tasting notes.	Jennifer Moreno, Travis Jennings, Matthew Bosland, Christopher Gavlik, Juan Rubio, Suzette Stephanos
Temperature dependence	"Ice cold" is a decisive sensory condition; coldness elevates an otherwise unremarkable flavor to acceptable, while warm PBR is described as off‑putting (tinny/cardboardy).	Matthew Bosland, Jennifer Moreno, Juan Rubio, Travis Jennings, Christopher Gavlik, Suzette Stephanos
Price + taste prioritized over brand prestige	Purchase drivers are primarily price and the immediate sensory experience when cold. Brand heritage or image is secondary except when it signals negative social meaning (cringe/gentrification).	Christopher Gavlik, Matthew Bosland, Jennifer Moreno, Travis Jennings, Juan Rubio, Suzette Stephanos
Retro / hipster cachet is performative	The brand’s ironic/retro positioning is read by some as costume or co‑option; for urban respondents this can provoke annoyance and actively reduce appeal.	Suzette Stephanos, Jennifer Moreno, Juan Rubio, Matthew Bosland
Cultural/mixing use cases among Latinx consumers	Latinx respondents specifically locate PBR within culturally specific mixed‑drink or communal contexts (micheladas, carne asada) where price and coldness make it serviceable despite not being a flavor destination.	Juan Rubio, Suzette Stephanos

Divergences

Segment	Contrast	Agents
High‑income construction buyer vs. young urban professional	Both buy PBR situationally, but the high‑income construction buyer treats it as pragmatic crew stock regardless of status, whereas the young urban professional resists PBR when it signals gentrification or performative hipsterism.	Matthew Bosland, Suzette Stephanos
Latinx communal users vs. blue‑collar ritual users	Latinx users emphasize PBR’s role in mixed drinks and specific cultural gatherings (micheladas, carne asada), while blue‑collar users emphasize ritualized post‑work consumption and identity language ('lawnmower beer'). Both use it as volume beer, but the social meaning and mixing behaviors differ.	Juan Rubio, Travis Jennings, Christopher Gavlik
Physiological‑sensitive consumers vs. general population	A minority reports adverse physical reactions (bloating, headaches) after modest consumption, limiting repeat or extended use; most other respondents do not cite such effects and evaluate PBR mainly by price and temperature.	Juan Rubio
Older low‑income household buyer vs. urban hipster‑critical buyer	The older, lower‑income buyer focuses almost exclusively on price and cold taste for large gatherings, unconcerned with brand signaling; the urban, higher‑income buyer may decline PBR specifically because of brand signaling (gentrification/inauthenticity).	Jennifer Moreno, Suzette Stephanos

Recommendations & Next Steps

Overview

Consumers position heritage lagers like PBR as a cold-first, budget utility beer for groups and hot, active moments. Ice-cold is non‑negotiable; warm is rejected. Purchase drivers split roughly price ≈ taste, with brand image only mattering to avoid looking cringe. Tensions: authentic blue‑collar nostalgia vs. hipster cosplay. Action: double down on cold, no‑fuss, honest positioning; protect value price points; win high‑volume, mixed‑crowd occasions; activate Latinx michelada and blue‑collar rituals; and remove friction to staying cold.

Quick Wins (next 2–4 weeks)

#	Action	Why	Owner	Effort	Impact
1	“Ice-Cold or No Deal” POS kit for cold vaults and dive bars	Temperature is the gatekeeper; signaling serve ice-cold boosts acceptance and repeat.	Trade Marketing + On-Premise Sales	Low	High
2	Price guardrails by pack size (EDLP/TPR) in priority geos	Shoppers cite clear thresholds: <$18 for 12p, <$25 for 24p; staying below drives volume and goodwill.	Revenue Management + Sales	Med	High
3	Bilingual michelada cross-merch displays	Latinx occasions use cheap lager as a mixer; co-locating with Clamato/lime/salt captures baskets.	Shopper Marketing + Key Accounts	Med	Med
4	Koozie + ice bag add-ons for summer 24/30-racks	Supports the keep it cold requirement and protects taste perception at parties.	Field Marketing + Packaging Ops	Low	Med
5	Dive-bar tallboy special windows (<$3) with “cold guarantee”	On-premise staple; reinforces honest, no-fuss value and drives velocity where brand is default.	On-Premise Sales	Low	Med
6	Creative pivot to ‘socket wrench in the cooler’ line	Authenticity resonates; avoids hipster cosplay and positions as a reliable tool, not a prop.	Brand Marketing	Low	Med

Initiatives (30–90 days)

#	Initiative	Description	Owner	Timeline	Dependencies
1	Cold Chain Excellence Program	Expand cold-vault facings, add secondary ice-cold displays May–Sep, deploy thermochromic can ink pilots, and provide koozies/ice vouchers with multipacks. Include retailer incentives tied to cold placement compliance.	Trade Marketing + Supply/Packaging	Design in 30 days; pilot in 90 days; scale by summer	Retailer buy-in for cold vault space, Thermochromic ink supplier lead times, Field execution bandwidth, Legal review of temperature claims
2	Value Guardrails & Pack Architecture	Codify price ladders (12p, 24p, 30p, tallboys) aligned to consumer thresholds; lock EDLP/TPR to <$18 12p, <$25 24p where feasible; sharpen promo calendar around July 4th, Labor Day, tailgate season. Monitor competitive price index monthly.	Revenue Management + Sales Finance	Guardrails in 45 days; full rollout next promo cycle	Chain retailer promo windows, Trade spend reallocation, Competitor pricing intel
3	Cultural Use-Case Activation: Michelada & Backyard	Bilingual in-aisle solutions: spice rimmer cups, Clamato/lime/salt bundles, simple “Listo para michelada” recipe cards; sponsor carne asada/community events; digital how-to content. Track attach rates and Hispanic household penetration.	Shopper Marketing + Community Partnerships	Asset build in 45 days; retail activation in 60–90 days	Co-marketing with mixers/seasonings, Bilingual creative approval, Retailer display permissions
4	Blue-Collar Authenticity Platform	Creative that spotlights workday cool-downs, lawnmower/garage fridges, union cookouts. Tone: no sermon, no cosplay. Focus OOH near jobsites, hardware stores, fishing/bait shops; sponsor trades leagues and car meets.	Brand Marketing + Field Marketing	Concept in 30 days; flight in 90 days; evaluate at 6 months	Creative development, Sponsorship contracts, Brand safety/legal review
5	On-Premise ‘Cold Tallboy’ Program	Standardize sub-$3 tallboy nights, mandate cold storage checks, provide bar-top thermometers and ice-cold danglers; bartender spiffs for velocity lifts; POS that frames PBR as the no-fuss choice.	On-Premise Sales	Pilot across 50 bars in 60 days; expand in 120 days	Distributor alignment, Account participation, POS production
6	Military & Crew Channel Focus	Commissary/AAFES price packs timed to payday; 30-rack ‘crew packs’ with carry handles; sponsor post-shift grill events; ensure cold availability near bases and industrial corridors.	Sales (Military/Convenience) + Field Marketing	Program design in 60 days; roll across base-prox markets in 120 days	Military channel approvals, Packaging line for carry-handle SKUs, Local event partners

KPIs to Track

#	KPI	Definition	Target	Frequency
1	Cold Vault Facings	Number of facings in refrigerated placement across top 50 accounts in priority geos	+25% vs. baseline by summer	Monthly
2	Price Guardrail Compliance	Share of stores meeting <$18 (12p) and <$25 (24p) during promo windows	≥80% compliance in targeted chains	Monthly
3	On-Premise Tallboy Velocity	Average weekly case sell-through in participating ‘cold tallboy’ accounts	+15% vs. pre-program baseline	Weekly (pilot), Monthly (scale)
4	Michelada Basket Attach Rate	Percent of PBR transactions with michelada mixers/seasonings in co-merch doors	≥12% attach in Hispanic-dense stores	Monthly
5	Sentiment: ‘Cringe/Hipster’ Mentions	Share of negative social mentions referencing try-hard/hipster cosplay	-20% vs. baseline after creative shift	Monthly
6	Cold-Chain OOS Rate	Out-of-stock rate in cold vault placements (top 3 SKUs)	<3% OOS in summer peak	Weekly in peak, Monthly off-peak

Risks & Mitigations

#	Risk	Mitigation	Owner
1	Over-indexing on ‘retro/hipster’ cues triggers backlash	Adopt no-fuss authenticity tone; use workday, family, and community scenes; pre-test creative for ‘cosplay’ signals	Brand Marketing
2	Price creep above consumer thresholds depresses volume	Set hard guardrails; prioritize EDLP on 24/30-packs; shift spend from low-ROI media to trade in peak months	Revenue Management
3	Insufficient cold availability undermines taste perception	Incentivize cold facings, deploy incremental coolers, koozies, and ice-with-purchase; audit and enforce	Trade Marketing
4	Cultural activation missteps in Latinx segments	Use bilingual creators, community partners, and local QA; keep message practical (recipes, value) not stereotype-driven	Community Partnerships
5	Operational delays for packaging/thermochromic pilots	Run limited pilots with fastest-turn SKUs; parallel-path supplier onboarding and legal approvals	Supply/Packaging

Timeline

0–30 days:

Lock price guardrails; brief creative pivot (no-fuss tone)
Build ice-cold POS kit; secure pilot on-premise accounts
Scope michelada co-merch with top Hispanic grocers

30–90 days:

Launch cold POS + dive-bar tallboy pilots
Activate bilingual displays and recipe cards
Finalize summer promo calendar and cold-vault expansions

90–180 days:

Scale cold chain program and crew/military focus
Pilot thermochromic cans in 2 markets
Evaluate creative impact on sentiment and velocity

180+ days:

Nationalize winning elements; refine pack architecture
Renew community sponsorships tied to peak occasions

Research Study Narrative

Pabst Brewing Consumer Study: Objective and Context

Objective: Understand how US beer consumers perceive heritage, budget-friendly brands like PBR to inform positioning, pricing, and activation. Across 18 qualitative responses, PBR consistently emerges as a cold-first, utility lager used for volume and ease rather than flavor exploration.

What We Heard Across Questions

Utility role, not a flavor destination: PBR is a dependable, low-cost “cooler filler” for groups and casual settings (cookouts, tailgates, camping, dive bars). Jennifer Moreno: “Cheap, cold, no-frills… utility beer-gets the job done.” Multiple respondents echoed cooler/garage/barracks use.
Temperature is the gatekeeper: Acceptance hinges on “ice-cold”; warm is rejected. Matthew Bosland: “Cold PBR is fine. Warm PBR is trash.” Christopher Gavlik: “Ice cold, crushable… Warm is a crime.”
Drivers: price ≈ taste; brand image distant: Decision weight splits roughly evenly between price and taste; brand only matters to avoid “cringe.” Gavlik: “Price: 45%. Taste: 45%.” Moreno: “Brand image is fluff unless it’s cringey.”
Budget first; retro is performative: PBR reads “budget workhorse,” with retro-cool seen as a bar prop. Suzette Stephanos: “At bars it is a prop… in my fridge it is a maybe if it is ice-cold and cheap.”
Context heuristic: craft for tasting, PBR for quantity: For slow, intentional drinking (dates, brewery patios), respondents prefer craft pils/Mexican lagers; for high-volume socializing, PBR. Stephanos: “If I’m actually tasting or pairing… I’m reaching for a crisp craft pils.” Travis Jennings likens PBR to a “10mm socket”-a practical tool.
Cultural and edge cases: Latinx respondents cite micheladas/carne asada: Juan Rubio: “Si le voy a echar jugo, limón y salsas, no gasto en cerveza cara.” A minority reports physiological limits after a few PBRs (gas/headache). Some anchor PBR in barracks/young enlisted affordability.

Personas and Correlations

Blue-collar/trades (late 20s–mid 30s): Ritualized after-work/yardwork, tailgates, bonfires. Accepts functional taste; buys cases for crews. Lawn-mower/garage-fridge language (Jennings, Bosland, Gavlik).
Latinx communal users: PBR as a mixer/volume beer for micheladas and carne asada; price and coldness trump nuance; some physiological constraints (Rubio; Stephanos).
Young urban professionals (e.g., Austin): Utility acknowledged, but retro/hipster cues can read as gentrifying cosplay, deterring purchase in certain venues (Stephanos).
Older, lower-income Hispanic household buyer: Transactional value lens-serve many people cheaply; image irrelevant unless embarrassing (Moreno).
High-income construction host/stocking buyer: Despite income, applies price ceilings (“<$18 for 12p; <$25 for 24p”-Bosland) and prioritizes bulk for mixed crowds.

Implications and Recommendations

Own “ice-cold, no-fuss” utility: Lean into cold-first refreshment and honest, blue-collar authenticity; avoid performative retro. Signal and enable cold at every touchpoint.
Protect value guardrails: Align pack pricing to stated thresholds (<$18 12p, <$25 24p) to drive volume and goodwill.
Win high-volume occasions: Cooler-friendly packs, koozie/ice add-ons, and dive-bar tallboy specials with a “cold guarantee.”
Activate cultural use-cases: Bilingual michelada co-merch (Clamato/lime/salt), simple recipes, and community event presence; keep tone practical, not stereotype-driven.
On-premise execution: Standardize sub-$3 cold tallboy nights, storage checks, thermometers/danglers, and bartender spiffs to grow velocity.

Risks and Measurement Guardrails

Risk: “Hipster cosplay” backlash. Guardrail: Pre-test creative; emphasize workday, family, community-no sermon, no cosplay (Stephanos irritation).
Risk: Price creep. Guardrail: Hard compliance to guardrails; shift spend to trade in peak months (Bosland thresholds).
Risk: Warm availability. Guardrail: Expand cold facings; thermochromic ink pilots; koozies/ice incentives (universal temperature dependence).
Risk: Cultural missteps. Guardrail: Bilingual creators/partners, recipe-led activations (Rubio/Latinx use cases).

Next Steps and KPIs

0–30 days: Lock price guardrails; brief creative pivot to “ice-cold, no-fuss”; build cold POS; secure 50 pilot bars.
30–90 days: Launch cold POS + tallboy specials; activate bilingual michelada displays; finalize summer promo/cold-vault expansions.
90–180 days: Scale cold-chain excellence; pilot thermochromic cans in 2 markets; sponsor backyard/trade community events.
180+ days: Nationalize winning elements; refine pack architecture and trade calendar.

KPIs: Cold vault facings +25% by summer; ≥80% price guardrail compliance; tallboy velocity +15% in pilot accounts; michelada attach ≥12% in Hispanic-dense stores; “cringe/hipster” negative mentions -20% post-creative shift.

Recommended Follow-up Questions Updated Jan 21, 2026

For each PBR pack size you purchase, what is the highest price you would consider acceptable (before tax)?

matrix Set pack-size price guardrails and promotion thresholds by mapping willingness to pay.
Rank the following package formats for heritage lagers from most to least preferred.

rank Prioritize SKU mix and packaging investments by understanding format preference.
How often do you purchase PBR pre-chilled from a cold case?

frequency Quantify cold-chain reliance to justify cold-vault placement and “ice-cold” POS.
Which, if any, add-ins or serving styles do you use with heritage lagers?

multi select Guide flavor extensions and merchandising (e.g., limes, michelada kits) based on real behaviors.
Which promotional offers most increase your likelihood of choosing PBR?

maxdiff Prioritize trade promotions and value cues that drive selection in bar and retail.
Which brand messages are most and least persuasive for a heritage lager like PBR?

maxdiff Identify resonant versus risky messages to avoid “cringe” and steer communications.

Ensure pack-size rows (e.g., 16oz single, 6-pack 12oz, 12-pack 12oz, 24/30-pack) and define option lists for formats, add-ins, promos, and messages before fielding.

Study Overview Updated Jan 21, 2026

News & Media

Source	Weight

Pabst Brewing Consumer Study

Jennifer Moreno

Suzette Stephanos

Juan Rubio

Travis Jennings

Matthew Bosland

Christopher Gavlik

Jennifer Moreno

Suzette Stephanos

Juan Rubio

Travis Jennings

Matthew Bosland

Christopher Gavlik

Sex / Gender

Race / Ethnicity

Locale (Top)

Occupations (Top)

Summary

Themes

Outliers

Overview

Key Segments

Shared Mindsets

Divergences

Overview

Quick Wins (next 2–4 weeks)

Initiatives (30–90 days)

KPIs to Track

Risks & Mitigations

Timeline

Pabst Brewing Consumer Study: Objective and Context

What We Heard Across Questions

Personas and Correlations

Implications and Recommendations

Risks and Measurement Guardrails

Next Steps and KPIs

Distinct Market Research Groups

Marketing Reports Generated

Digital Twin Synthetic Personas

Questions Answered