Less lager, but more alcohol-free beer and more craft beer

25 August 2021

Since summer 2020, beer consumption in the Netherlands has fallen by about 8% compared to the same period a year earlier. This is evident from figures from Dutch Brewers Association.

The share of lager in total beer consumption has fallen over the past 10 years from nine out of ten beers to just over three quarters.

Non-alcoholic beer now accounts for 7% of all hectoliters of consumed beer. Ten years ago it was just over 1.5%.

The most striking increase comes from craft beer. Consumption has doubled in ten years, from less than 6% to just over 12%. Craft beer has an ABV between 6 and 10%.

Beer mixes, the Radlers, now account for almost 3.5% of all beers consumed. The beer with an ABV of about 2% alcohol did not exist ten years ago.

Last year, 46% of the per capita consumption of pure alcohol in the Netherlands was drunk in the form of beer. In 2019 that was 48%.

Source: nu.nl.

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