ST. LOUIS, MO - In a city known for its iconic beer and its Clydesdale mascots, there's an acknowledgment that grocery store shelves are making room for craft beer, a niche that continues to grow market share, reports St. Louis Today.

Traditionally, supermarkets stocked mostly major brands, perhaps with a Sierra Nevada or Sam Adams added to the mix over the past decade. But today, grocery stores are upgrading their inventories, eliminating the need for customers to venture to specialty beer shops.

"Grocery stores always adjust to what the consumer wants, whether it's beer or cheese or deli meats," said Brian Dix, who oversees the beer division of distributor Major Brands. "The past two or three years, the consumer has found a taste for craft beer, so that's been gaining more shelf space."

While beer specialty stores still maintain the best selections, with obscure ales that satisfy the most discriminating beer connoisseurs, grocery stores offer the added convenience of a one-stop shopping experience, as well as (typically) longer hours of operation and more locations.

Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and TJ's were singled out as offering "better-than-average" beer selections, though all of them are still distant runners-up to Midwest grocery retailer Schnucks Des Peres, with a St. Louis store that stocks about 315 beers, the majority kept in a walk-in cooler.

"Customers like to experiment with different beer styles and flavors to match food combinations, so people have been asking for all kinds of varieties," said department manager Mat Wider. "We've really been trying to pick up the rare stuff from breweries that may only send 30 or 50 cases to the entire state."