BEER NEWS
BEER NEWS AND VIEWS FROM BEER CONSUMPTION FALLING TO NEW BREWERIES OPENING, WE HIGHLIGHT THE KEY BEER NEWS YOU NEED TO BE ACROSS THIS MONTH. WORDS BY TAM ALLENBY, CHARLES WHITTING AND ANDY YOUNG.
AUSTRALIAN BEER CONSUMPTION CONTINUES DOWNWARD TREND The latest findings from Roy Morgan show a decline in the percentage of Australians who consume at least one type of alcoholic drink in an average four-week period. In 2014, the ‘Alcohol Consumption Currency Report’ recorded 70.1% of the population as consuming alcohol in the four-week time period, with the most recent findings showing that number has declined to 67.5%. All major categories of alcoholic drinks showed declines in incidence over this period, apart from cider which increased. Cider is now consumed by 11.4% of the population – an increase from 11.1% five years ago – while beer showed a decline of 0.6% points, dropping from 38.8% to 38.2%. Wine is still the most popular alcohol drink, consumed by 42.8% of the population – but dropped from 45.1% in 2014, the largest decline in any category. Interestingly, while wine is still the most popular alcoholic drink in terms of the number of drinkers, beer is on top in terms of volume, accounting for 45% of the overall market (but is still down 2.8% from 2014). Despite this decline in overall beer consumption, the Independent Brewers Association (IBA) has reported growth in independent beer’s overall beer market share – calling the industry “the shining light”. With a 5.9% share of volume (compared to approximately 1% when the IBA/CBIA was established in 2011) and a 10% share of value, independent beer is growing while the overall beer market is declining. This may indicate that although Australians are drinking less beer overall, more of that beer is independent. “Alcohol has often been considered to have a central role in the social life of many Australians however the latest research from Roy Morgan shows that a declining proportion of Australians are now drinking alcohol,” said Michele Levine, Chief Executive Officer, Roy Morgan. Levine also accounted for the gender split in Australian alcohol (and in particular beer) consumption. “In large part the success of Australia’s alcohol retailers and brands rides on the drinking habits of Australian men who drink around two thirds (66.6%) of all alcohol drunk in Australia while women drink the remaining 33.4%.”
14 | JULY 2019 AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER
Sydney Beer Week owners, David Phillips shown far left
SYDNEY BEER WEEK CANCELLED INDEFINITELY The organisers have cited a decline in registrations and a “pull-back of sponsorship support” as reasons for cancelling the event. “I believe Sydney should celebrate beer in a big way,” David Phillips, owner of Dave’s Brewery Tours and organiser of Sydney Beer Week, wrote in an email to event partners. “However, the dynamics and market Sydney Beer Week exists within and the community it serves has changed since the Festival was conceived with a growing number of conflicting interests that are simply not able to be addressed appropriately with such a marginal business model. “So when registrations and sponsorships lag, the ability to run a festival that brings benefits to all is severely affected. It simply does not do anyone any good to conduct a mediocre festival. “I hope that in time we are able to resurrect Sydney Beer Week and I welcome any input and support from the community to make that a reality.”