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Asia is world’s biggest beer producer
As economic woes affect beer sales in Europe, a 5.5 per cent rise in its production in Asia followed the region’s quick rebound from the financial crisis. The guzzlers of Munich’s beer halls are the stuff of bacchanalian legend: now they have to contend with rivals hailing from the bars and street stalls of Hanoi and New Delhi.
As economic woes affect beer sales in Europe, a 5.5 per cent rise in its production in Asia followed the region’s quick rebound from the financial crisis. The guzzlers of Munich’s beer halls are the stuff of bacchanalian legend: now they have to contend with rivals hailing from the bars and street stalls of Hanoi and New Delhi.
Asia has overtaken Europe as the world’s biggest beer producer for the first time, according to a study by the research arm of the Japanese brewing giant Kirin Holdings.
Asia’s comparatively quick rebound from the global economic crisis was matched last year by a 5.5 per cent surge in beer production — to 58.6m kilolitres — from 2008, the Kirin Institute of Food and Lifestyle said.
It is the first time that Asia has topped the global beer production rankings since Kirin began surveying the industry in 1974. Europe, which saw output shrink 5.1 per cent to 55.1m kilolitres in 2009.
The Asian surge was led by Vietnam, where the domestic and international popularity of labels such as 333 — pronounced “ba ba ba” locally — leaped 24.3 pc, followed by India (12.3 pc) and China (7 pc).
