E-Malt.com News article: EU: SABMiller looks into EU’s beer drinking culture

Beer continues to be an important industry in Europe but, like many consumer goods, it has not been unaffected by the recession. Many of Europe’s beer markets have experienced declines in the last 24 months and in the UK, pubs continue to close at an alarming rate, SABMiller said in a report published on November, 12.

However, beer still plays a crucial part in many Europeans’ lives - in friendships, communities and sociability; although the role it plays varies from country to country with each nation displaying its own unique and varied beer drinking culture, the world’s No. 2 brewer said.

The findings of SABMiller’s research into beer drinking culture around Europe include:

- Britain is the biggest round-buying nation, with 82% of people saying that they buy beer in rounds - three times more than in Germany, where drinkers prefer to pay for their own drinks individually;

- British bosses are amongst the most sociable in Europe - and the most generous, whereas French bosses are the least likely to ever go out for a beer with their teams;

- British women are big believers in equality - more than half think that men and women should split the beer tab on a date.

Prague, Amsterdam and Berlin have been named the top European destinations for a beer by SABMiller’s report.

The report, ‘Whose Round?' which was researched across 12 European countries, found that 20% of all respondents named Prague as their top city for a beer, although Brits chose London, followed by Dublin, as their beer-drinking destination of choice.

Prague was chosen as the top city by respondents from five countries and was particularly popular with beer drinkers from its Eastern European neighbours. Second placed Amsterdam trailed with 13% of the vote. London was fifth overall, proving most popular with Romanian, Czech and Dutch drinkers - as well as Brits.

As well as the British; Dutch, Germans and French beer drinkers all showed their national pride by voting their own capital the top place for a pint. Propping up the bottom of the league table were Bucharest, Bratislava and Warsaw, landing only 1% of the vote each.

‘Your Round?' surveyed a range of beer drinking cultural trends across Europe, including which countries are most likely to socialise after work - and which have the most generous bosses; which nation of men are most likely to expect a woman to pay her way on a date; and the celebrities that Europeans would most like to go for a beer with.

Great Britain, Romania and Italy have the most generous bosses when it comes to buying beer whilst French bosses are the most misérables. The Dutch are the least likely to go out drinking with colleagues (34%) but when they do, they have the most generous bosses, with 37% saying that their boss will sometimes or always stand a round.

Brits' choice of celebrity beer drinking buddies were Cheryl Cole and Stephen Fry, whilst Barack Obama and Angelina Jolie were the most popular across Europe.


19 November, 2010