Ireland: Beer remains Ireland’s favourite alcoholic drink in 2023
Sales of non-alcoholic beer rose by 18% last year while production of zero-alcohol beers increased 50% as Irish consumers' drinking habits continued to evolve, a report from Ibec group Drinks Ireland shows.
Non-alcoholic beer accounts for only 2% of the market, but the category has nearly doubled its share over the past four years. At an EU level, non-alcoholic beers accounts for 7% of the drinks market, or one in 14 drinks, rising to 14% in Spain.
Beer remained Ireland's favourite alcoholic drink, capturing 42.9% of the market in 2023, a small 1.4% difference from 2022.
Within the beer category, lager dropped by two percentage points but still topped the market share at 57.6%. Stout was the second most popular at 35.6%, a 2.6-point increase, and ale improved marginally to 4.9%.
Ireland's beer exports climbed 11% climb, reaching a value of €330m. The UK accounted for €160m of this, followed by the US (€65m) and France (€40m).
Sales of non-alcoholic beer rose by 18% last year while production of zero-alcohol beers increased 50% as Irish consumers' drinking habits continued to evolve, a report from Ibec group Drinks Ireland shows.
Non-alcoholic beer accounts for only 2% of the market, but the category has nearly doubled its share over the past four years. At an EU level, non-alcoholic beers accounts for 7% of the drinks market, or one in 14 drinks, rising to 14% in Spain.
Beer remained Ireland's favourite alcoholic drink, capturing 42.9% of the market in 2023, a small 1.4% difference from 2022.
Within the beer category, lager dropped by two percentage points but still topped the market share at 57.6%. Stout was the second most popular at 35.6%, a 2.6-point increase, and ale improved marginally to 4.9%.
Ireland's beer exports climbed 11% climb, reaching a value of €330m. The UK accounted for €160m of this, followed by the US (€65m) and France (€40m).
Wine grew by 5.9% to 28.3% of market share, with spirits retracting by 2.6% to 22.6%. Cider also saw a fall, recording a -6.1% change to record a 6.2% share of the market.
Per capita beer consumption in 2023 saw a 3.1% decline, reaching 69l per capita and contributing to an 11% decrease since 2011. This fall brings Ireland's per capita consumption below the UK and a number of EU countries, including Spain, France, and Germany.
Cormac Healy, director of Drinks Ireland, said that the growth in non-alcoholic beers is a direct result of "investment and innovation" from the industry, adding that this growth is driven by consumer's "demand for moderation and balance" and increased availability of products.
Sales of non-alcoholic beer rose by 18% last year while production of zero-alcohol beers increased 50% as Irish consumers' drinking habits continued to evolve, a report from Ibec group Drinks Ireland shows.
Non-alcoholic beer accounts for only 2% of the market, but the category has nearly doubled its share over the past four years. At an EU level, non-alcoholic beers accounts for 7% of the drinks market, or one in 14 drinks, rising to 14% in Spain.
Beer remained Ireland's favourite alcoholic drink, capturing 42.9% of the market in 2023, a small 1.4% difference from 2022.
Within the beer category, lager dropped by two percentage points but still topped the market share at 57.6%. Stout was the second most popular at 35.6%, a 2.6-point increase, and ale improved marginally to 4.9%.
Ireland's beer exports climbed 11% climb, reaching a value of €330m. The UK accounted for €160m of this, followed by the US (€65m) and France (€40m).
Wine grew by 5.9% to 28.3% of market share, with spirits retracting by 2.6% to 22.6%. Cider also saw a fall, recording a -6.1% change to record a 6.2% share of the market.
Per capita beer consumption in 2023 saw a 3.1% decline, reaching 69l per capita and contributing to an 11% decrease since 2011. This fall brings Ireland's per capita consumption below the UK and a number of EU countries, including Spain, France, and Germany.
Cormac Healy, director of Drinks Ireland, said that the growth in non-alcoholic beers is a direct result of "investment and innovation" from the industry, adding that this growth is driven by consumer's "demand for moderation and balance" and increased availability of products.
"We are continuing to see a drop in alcohol consumption in Ireland, aligning with other European countries in this regard. While consumption continues to decrease, beer exports are consistently increasing," Healy added.
"Beer reached an impressive €330m in export value in 2023, an 11% increase from 2022. The industry’s growth will rely on the support shown to it by the government through reasonable policies that reflect our changing relationship with alcohol."
The group added Ireland continues to have the third highest excise duty for beer, surpassed only by the UK and Finland. Excise rates in Finland (€38.05 per hectolitre) were comfortably higher than the UK (€23.34) and Ireland (€22.55).
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