Each Spaniard drinks 58 litres of beer a year
The increasingly sweltering heat is causing a considerable increase in beer consumption, which is firmly established at the top of the list of refreshing drinks. Despite figures showing that each Spaniard drinks 58 litres per year, well below the 80 litres consumed by the average European citizen, Spain, with 41 million hectolitres, has become the second largest beer-producing country in Europe, only surpassed by Germany, and has climbed to ninth place in the world, after overtaking Poland and the United Kingdom, in a ranking headed by China (360 million hl), followed by the United States (203), Brazil (143) and Mexico (135).
These figures were the basis of the conference held at the headquarters of the Alternativas Foundation: The contribution of beer to the Spanish and EU economies. Among the most interesting global data provided were the more than 10,000 breweries in Europe, 491 of them in Spain, which provide 2.5 million jobs, and which have a significant impact on one of the most decisive aspects, especially for the Mediterranean countries, tourism. In fact, the 58 litres/year that appear in Spanish statistics are largely due to what foreign tourists drink. Another great Spanish peculiarity is the explosion of non-alcoholic beer, which already accounts for 13% of sales. In the words of Jacobo Olalla, director general of the Spanish Brewers' Association, "this sign of identity is a symptom that the Spanish consumer is not looking for the (low) alcohol content of this drink, but for its freshness and flavour, without, of course, giving up socialising".
The consumption figures are considered moderate in the context of Mediterranean consumption patterns: more than 90% of occasions, whether at home or away from home, were associated with moments of consumption of other foods. Of the 300,000 pubs in Spain, between 20 and 40% of their turnover is associated with beer consumption, a percentage that can reach 80% in establishments located in particularly warm rural areas.
The added value of the beer sector in Spain now exceeds 9,000 million euros, generated by the 450,000 jobs provided by the sector, 87% of which are in the on-trade, with a tax contribution of 5,840 million euros, and where VAT collection has increased by 31%.
Simon Spillman, director of Brewers of Europe, was pleased with the great attraction of the tapa/pintxo-beer pairing in Spain, a banner that was taken up by Jacobo Olalla, who proposes the promotion of a distinctive seal that considers "Spanish tapas" as an intangible cultural asset.
At the conference, much reference was made to hops, the differentiating element of this drink, and the plant that gives beer its bitterness and characteristic aroma. This climbing plant, which needs humidity and sunshine, is highly profitable for farmers, and is known as the "green gold". León, and more specifically the banks of the Órbigo river, harvests 90% of the one thousand tonnes of hop flowers produced in Spain, which barely cover half the needs of Spanish breweries. This is why new hop plantations are being set up in Galicia, Catalonia, La Rioja, Navarre, the Basque Country and Andalusia. Its cultivation requires a high degree of specialisation, which contributes to the settlement of highly skilled farmers in these areas.
Moderated by the former Minister of Agriculture, Elena Espinosa, the conference also addressed the sector's objectives for the year 2025, many of which are already at an advanced stage of completion: to reach 80% of the volume of beer marketed in reusable packaging; to consume 100% of electricity from renewable sources in its production; to reduce by 10% the ratio of water consumption per hl of beer produced and to achieve zero waste in production.