Good news from the latest Bord Bia research – their report shows that consumption of craft beer in Ireland is rising, while overall the level of beer drinking has decreased. That’s good news for Mescan and the other independent microbreweries in the country. The actual figures are a 13.5% increase in craft beer drinking since 2017 and a reduction of 2.1% in overall beer consumption during the same period. Consumers are voting with their tastebuds and embracing real beer.
We’re clapping our hands at this good news, particularly Cillian who says, “I’m delighted to read this report and see that there is growth in the craft beer sector while overall beer drinking has reduced. It’s probably not a surprise to anybody but as one of our hashtags says #DrinkLessDrinkBetter. That’s where we see the future of craft beer - that people will overall consume less but instead focus on the quality of what they imbibe. We’re very happy about that as we see if as our niche”.
He went on to explain that (apart from the taste) buying from a small brewery is very different to buying from a multi-national giant, “I’d encourage people to think about the beer they are buying and the price they pay for it – the extra couple of euros they spend on a quality craft beer is giving jobs to local people and supporting the local economy. In contrast when they buy a macro beer, very little goes towards paying wages - there are very few people involved in actual brewing. Your spend does a lot of good when it goes to a small Irish brewery”.
Bord Bia published this report on 8th September 2023. It also covers cider and gives a link to a handy map showing all the independent beer and cider producers in the country https://irishbeer.ie/#irish-beer-map
The Craft Beer and Cider Report was completed by Bernard Feeney on behalf of Bord Bia in collaboration with Drinks Ireland and the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland (ICBI). The Craft Beer and Craft Cider Report is available to access on the Bord Bia website – read the entire report at www.bordbia.ie/industry/insights/publications/craft-beer-and-cider-report