A customer shops for beer in a supermarket in New York on Jan. 22, 2026. Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images U.S. beer sales have dropped more sharply than expected, as new scanner data points to weakness in the category. The slowdown is also raising concerns on Wall Street that higher gasoline prices may be pressuring discretionary spending, especially in convenience retail. Beer, full malt beverages (FMB) and cider volumes fell 6.3% year over year through the week ending May 2, both on a two- and four-week trailing basis, according to Nielsen-tracked data. That's worse than the trends seen between November and mid-April, when category declines were just 3%. While some volatility in beer sales was expected due to Easter being earlier this year than last year, according to analyst firm Bernstein, the breadth of the slowdown could indicate broader pressure on the U.S. consumer.…