Beer sales fell in the Netherlands by 5.6% in 2023

Beer sales fell in the Netherlands by 5.6% in 2023, according to fresh figures from the breweries association in the country, following reports of a similar decline in Germany last week. The Nederlandse Brouwers sales in both the on-trade and domestic consumption were down with sales of Pilsner and other beer blends falling by 6.5% and 15.2% respectively. In terms of speciality beer styles and also non-alcoholic beer, both of which have grown in recent years, sales remained “stable” this year. The association also reported that inflation in the country had a negative impact on sales. It said that a bad summer in terms of weather also played a role in overall sales, especially Radler, which was mainly drunk during warmer conditions. Despite the poorer showing last year, the breweries group described alcohol-free beer as the “growth engine” for sales in the past decade, up by 55% between 2010 and 2022. It also said more variants of alcohol-free beer had been added during the ...