Beer is as Italian as… pasta

Assobirra, the association of Italian brewers, which has gone through turmoil following the departure of some of its smaller members last year, has decided that a bit of PR on behalf of beer could do their business no harm. Having welcomed two new members to their club, the privately owned Theresianer and InBev (even though InBev does not even have a brewery in Italy), Assobirra launched an initiative under the motto “Birra – gusto naturale” (“beer – the natural taste”). The launch party was held in Milan in July. In support of Assobirra’s initiative, Mario Abis, who heads the Italian market research company Makno, presented recent findings according to which the Italian beer consumer cherishes beer quality above all. Alas, he (yes, beer is a male affair) is also very brand conscious and only chooses labels which appeal to his personality and sense of value.

In 1997, 34.8 percent of those questioned said that value was important to them. Today this figure has risen to 54 percent. Moreover, in 1997 only 5.8 percent responded that beer makes them cheerful, whereas today it’s 21 percent. At the same time the market researchers have noted a decline in the number of those consumers who drink beer customarily. Their figure has dropped to 5.1 percent from 17.4 percent. Over the same period of time, the number of beer brands offered by “Italian” brewers (“Italian” has to be put in inverted commas because it is a hotly debated issue in that all major Italian brewers are foreign owned) has more than doubled: from 80 to 170 while per capita consumption has increased from 25 litres to 29 litres.

Abis said that one of the most important results was that customers no longer asked for “a beer” but for “a specific brand of beer.” His researchers also noted an increased understanding among Italian consumers that beer was a natural and healthy beverage.

While to the delight of brewers beer consumption has risen, so has the average age of their consumers. In 1997 it was predominantly those between 20 and 24 years of age, who drank beer. Today it’s the 40+ generation. Many Italians think that beer goes very well with Mediterranean foods (42 percent of the respondents). But the man reason why Italians drink beer is its pleasant taste, followed by its thirst-quenching propensities and its low calorie content. Above all, beer is associated with easy socialising.

When asked how they like their beer served, 37.8 percent said they liked a foamy head, 24.9 percent said they would rather have it without, while 16.2 percent preferred it out of a bottle anyway. As far as types of beer are concerned, 33 percent said they enjoy a hopped Pils followed by a Doppio Malto (that’s a beer with more than 6% ABV) and Lager. As concerns the value of the beer, many Italians thought it important that beer has such a long tradition and that it is consumed the world over. 47.5 percent of those questioned suggested that there should be a beer list at restaurants. 27 percent said that if there was a beer list they would drink beer more often with their restaurant meals.

27 percent of Italians drink beer regularly, 33 percent occasionally. Only 6 percent drink it on a daily basis. However; while most Italian woman said that they liked beer, a majority said that they never drank beer.

Piero Perron (Heineken Italia) and President of Assobirra said that more than 60 percent of Italy’s beer consumption was produced by the members of

Assobirra. Because of high

beer imports, total beer consumption was 17 million hl in 2005. Still, Italy ranked last among Europe’s beer consuming countries.