Greece: Beer consumption is increasing

Consumption of beer in Greece is increasing, IndustryWire reported May 31. Lager is the most popular beer type. Consumer tastes are becoming more sophisticated, with people preferring premium lagers to economy lagers. Amstel (Netherlands) is the most popular beer brand. Demand for wine is also increasing. Consumption of wine is 26 litres per head per year, with 86% of the Greek population drinking wine 3.2 times a week, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Flavoured alcoholic beverages (FABs) are popular with young people.

The Greek beer sector comprised seven breweries in 2001, according to research by a Dutch investment bank, FBS Bankiers. Total production was 4.5m hl in 2001, 7.2% of which was exported. Most of the demand is met through domestic production, which means that imports are small. Total imports of beer amounted to 167,000 hl in 2001.

Heineken (Netherlands), which operates in Greece via Athenian Brewery and also includes Amstel following the 1968 merger of Amstel and Heineken, is the largest player. Despite declining volume, Heineken's ownership of the Athenian Brewery and Amstel, which is the leading foreign brand, as well as the local brand, Marathon, gives the global player an overall share of the segment of about 70%. In 2002 Scottish and Newcastle entered the market in partnership with the Boutari Group, and they now have joint control of the Mythos Brewery, for which they paid a fee of 30m. Mythos Brewery is the second-largest player with a volume share of 11% in 2001, according to FBS Bankiers. In the spirits segment, Diageo (UK) and Pernod Ricard (France) are the leading players. Popular spirits include the traditional Greek aniseed spirit, ouzo.

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