Summary

- European markets' trends
- Eastern Europe
- Homebrewing
- Kiss of the hops
- Trappist and abbey
- Our choice
- The art of pouring

European markets' trends
If we take a look at the data concerning the consumption of beer in Europe we can see at a first glance that there is a general shrinkage going on.
According to the reports of CBMC, the European brewers' association, for the year 2003, the consumption per person in Europe had been of 74 litres compared to 80 litres of a decade before. We talk about a mature market, that sees a slow decay in terms of consumption.
Going deeper into specific countries, Germany is the leader in terms of production (106 million hectolitres) and consumption in Western Europe, but on an international scale it has never been able to compete with colossuses coming from Belgium, Holland and Great Britain, nor even United States. By the way, with its 1000 producing units scattered on the territory, Germany has at its disposal the most imposing and articulate producing structure.
The consumption per-person in 2003 was about 118 litres, that make Germany the leading country, but confirm the downward trend.
Great Britain is the second producer in Western Europe, with 58 million hectolitres, but it is also a great importer of low fermented beer, because of a consumption much higher than the production.
Holland, on the contrary, holds the European export leadership, considered that it exports about 50% of its production, also thanks to Heineken, that is the biggest beer group in Europe.
On the same line there is Denmark, that with Carlsberg holds a big production reality even abroad, while Belgium and Ireland stake mostly on traditional beers, that have a large market worldwide.
For what concerns Spain, it is the third Western European country in terms of production with 30.7 millions hectolitres, and the first of the Mediterranean area 83 litres per person.

Eastern Europe
Countries of the Eastern Europe deserve a specific analysis, because they are experiencing a strong growth. Why? Because of the market's opening, especially to multinationals, after the fall of the Berlin wall; of the diffusion of promotions and advertising; of their move closer to Western lifestyles; the growth of the economic income.
Talking about the Eastern European market, Czech Republic can boast the world record of beer consumption with its 180 litres per person per year.
Czech Republic is the country home of the Pilsen, which nowadays is one of the beer types more consumed in the world. Moreover, Czech beer has always had a great reputation of quality, that made possible to increase the exports.
After Czech Republic, the most important market is certainly the Russian, as seen that the country famous for the vodka produces altogether 73,2 millions hectolitres of beer, a number that makes it the fifth on a global scale.
The market in Russia is growing of about 10% a year. Per capita consumption, around 50 litres per year, is in constant growth and that's why Russia is considered a country with a great potentiality.



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