New research from Mintel shows some 22% of Americans say they are drinking less domestic beer because they’re drinking wine instead and 18% are focusing their alcohol consumption on spirits in lieu of domestic beer.

Despite flat volume sales on the traditional domestic front, craft beer continues to make inroads, especially among the all-important 25-34 age group, where 51% feel smaller producers make better quality products than their larger counterparts.

However, competition is not the only issue, because 20% of Americans say they are cutting back on domestic beer consumption because it has too many calories and 15% believe it to be unhealthy. This has helped buoy the sales of wine, traditionally seen as a healthier option, which saw sales increase 2.6% in 2013 to an estimated $42bn, compared to a rather stagnant 0.3% increase for beer.

Overall, 53% of US consumers say they have had spirits in the last six months and 52% have enjoyed wine, while 52% have had any domestic beer and 45% any imported beer, including regular and lower-calorie products.

In addition to calorie concerns, much of the switch can be traced back to consumers’ lust for variety and different flavors, with craft beer and hard cider, along with wine and spirits all showing significant upticks in consumption over the past six months, particularly among younger consumers.

Almost 25% of 22-24 year olds report drinking more spirits or wine compared to the previous six months, with craft beer accounting for the one beer segment that has benefited from increased interest across 22-44 year olds. Nearly 55% of all beer drinkers say they like to try new alcoholic drinks like craft beer or hard cider, and 18% of those aged 22-24 report drinking more hard cider in the past six months, the largest increase amongst any alcohol type across all measured age groups.