Brewers are bouncing back, European data shows a rise in beer sales

The Brewers of Europe – which compiles the data annually – says this shows the sector is ‘on the road to recovery’: although it warns the sector continues to face challenges moving forward. The key to long-term success will be adapting and catering to evolving consumer trends, says the trade association. The 2023 Edition of the European Beer Trends Report – published today - shows that EU beer sales rose to 313 million hectolitres in 2022, up from 301 million hectolitres in 2021 and 297 million hectolitres in 2020. However, this is still some way off the pre-pandemic level of 322 million hectolitres in 2019. The challenges of 2020 are well-documented: with bars and restaurants forced to close. For beer, this was a particularly harsh blow (the weight of the on-trade channel varies greatly between countries, but for some countries is particularly significant, with Portugal normally relying on the on-trade for around two-thirds of its beer sales). Today, the challenges are different, ...