Milwaukee ? ust shy of her 22nd birthday, Kelly Bannen is the type of customer that big brewers such as Anheuser-Busch Inc. and Miller Brewing Co. pay dearly to reach.

Bannen’s age group, people 21-24, account for 30 percent of the nation’s beer consumption.

There’s just one problem: Bannen is among a growing number of young drinkers who don’t like beer.

“I like sweeter things to drink,” said Bannen, a senior at Marquette University.

Since 2000, beer’s share of the overall alcohol beverage market has eroded, while the share held by wine and spirits has gained ground, according to New York-based consulting firm Beverage Marketing Corp.

Much of beer’s decline is tied to inroads that sellers of vodka, tequila and other spirits have made with consumers in their 20s. Propelled by aggressive marketing, a new generation of drinkers is showing a growing preference for sweeter drinks, such as martinis and other cocktails made with fruit-flavored spirits.

Some of those drinkers, including men, who account for more than 80 percent of U.S. beer consumption, still imbibe a frosty brew. But they are less loyal to suds and more willing to spend an evening at the clubs sampling a wide range of concoctions.

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch launched a new beer in early October spiked with caffeine, ginseng and fruit flavors to help broaden its appeal to young consumers.

Meanwhile, Adolph Coors Co., based in Golden, Colo., is touting two new fruit-flavored versions of its Zima-flavored malt beverage.

Miller, for now, is largely avoiding such new products and remains focused on selling beer. Company executives believe they can grab more customers, including young ones, by continuing to focus on core brands such as Miller Lite.

“Wine and spirits have done a great job of attacking us by creating consumer excitement,” Miller President Norman Adami said in an October speech to a group of Illinois beer distributors.