Beer Market Research Articles

Functionality of Special Beer Processes and Potential Health Benefits

Consumers’ demand for functional fermented food that can fulfill nutritional needs and help maintain a balanced diet while also having a positive impact on one’s health status is increasing all over the world. Thus, healthy choices could include beverages with nutrients and bioactive compounds which can be used as an effective disease-prevention strategy. Regular beer has certain health benefits which inspire further research with the prospect of obtaining special functional beers with little or no alcohol content. As observed, the special beer market remains highly dynamic and is predicted to expand even further. Therefore, brewers need to keep up with the consumers’ interests and needs while designing special beers, namely nonalcoholic beers (NABs), low-alcohol beers (LABs), and craft beers (CBs). Thus, understanding the potential uses of bioactive compounds in special beer, the wide range of therapeutic effects, and the possible mechanisms of action is essential for developing healthier beverages. This review aimed to evaluate the nutritional features of special beers, and their proven or potential beneficial actions on one’s health status and in preventing certain diseases.

Introduction: Global trends in the beer market

Introduction: Global trends in the beer market

Predicting brand confusion in imagery markets based on deep learning of visual advertisement content

Abstract In the consumer goods industry, unique brand positionings are assumed to be the road to success. They document product distinctiveness and so justify high prices. However, as products are getting more and more interchangeable, brand positionings must rely—at least partially—on supporting advertisements. Here, especially ads with visual content (e.g. photos, video clips) are able to connect brands with desirable emotions and values. Recently, besides TV, cinema, newspaper, also search engines, social networks, photo-, video-sharing platforms are used to spread such ads. In this paper, we demonstrate, how deep learning based on such ads can be used to predict uniqueness of brand positionings. A sample application to the German Pils beer market is used for demonstration.

Never Change a Brewing Yeast? Why Not, There Are Plenty to Choose From.

Fermented foods and particularly beer have accompanied the development of human civilization for thousands of years. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the dominant yeast in the production of alcoholic beverages, probably co-evolved with human activity. Considering that alcoholic fermentations emerged worldwide, the number of strains used in beer production nowadays is surprisingly low. Thus, the genetic diversity is often limited. This is among others related to the switch from a household brewing style to a more artisan brewing regime during the sixteenth century and latterly the development of single yeast isolation techniques at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory in 1883, resulting in process optimizations in the brewing industry. However, due to fierce competition within the beer market and the increasing demand for novel beer styles, diversification is becoming increasingly important. Moreover, the emergence of craft brewing has influenced big breweries to rediscover yeast as a significant contributor to a beer’s aroma profile and realize that there is still room for innovation in the fermentation process. Here, we aim at giving a brief overview on how currently used S. cerevisiae brewing yeasts emerged and comment on the rationale behind replacing them with novel strains. We will present potential sources of yeasts that have not only been used in beer brewing before, including natural sources and sources linked to human activity but also an overlooked source, such as yeast culture collections. We will briefly comment on common yeast isolation techniques and finally touch on additional challenges for the brewing industry in replacing their current brewer’s yeasts.

Ginger Beer: An Overview of Health Benefits and Recent Developments

Since time immemorial, ginger has been widely used as a food spice, providing aromatic odor and pungent taste, and as a medicinal plant, with various therapeutic effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic, among others. It has long been an integral constituent of most herbal medicines in Africa, China and India. Its medicinal properties are largely attributed to its outstanding amount of phenolics which include gingerols, paradols, zingerones, and many others. With consumer preference gradually and remarkably shifting from high-calorie towards low-calorie and functional beverages, the demand for ginger beer is flourishing at a faster rate. Currently, the ginger beer market is dominated by the United States. The demand for ginger beer is, however, debilitated by using artificial ingredients. Nonetheless, the use of natural ginger extract enriches beer with putative bioactive phytoconstituents such as shagaol, gingerone, zingerone, ginger flavonoids and essential oils, as well as essential nutritional components including proteins, vitamins and minerals, to promote general wellbeing of consumer. This paper presents an overview of the phytoconstituents of ginger as well as the overall biological activities they confer to the consumer. In addition, the market trend as well as the production technology of ginger beer using natural ginger extract is described here.

Geography of craft breweries in Central Europe: Location factors and the spatial dependence effect

This paper explores the geography of microbreweries in three countries in Central Europe: the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. Each has a long, turbulent, and different history of brewing, but in the twenty-first century all of them have experienced the change in this market caused by the so-called craft beer revolution. First, in an exhaustive literature review, we present the reasons for the craft beer proliferation in the world and characterize the beer market in these three countries. We also identify the factors that might lead to the location and clustering of craft breweries. Second, we empirically test where the microbreweries tend to locate and what the driving forces are in the clustering patterns in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, using spatial statistical models (LISA and spatial lag) and data from Eurostat and collected by the authors. Our findings suggest that craft brewers cluster in Central Europe, for reasons related to income and general well-being, the education level, economic activity and creativity, the age of the population, and the distance from cities.

The Authenticity Paradox: Why the Returns to Authenticity on Audience Appeal Decrease in Popularity and Iconicity

A great deal of research has argued for authenticity as a key firm-level attribute and source of competitive advantage. But we know very little about the boundary conditions related to organizational authenticity. In order to address this, we develop a theory of the social construction of authenticity, how it affects the appeal of a producer’s offerings, and how the market success of these offerings affects the returns to authenticity. We propose that there are two mechanisms, in addition to authenticity, that can drive audience appeal: popularity and iconicity. But increases in both popularity and iconicity also challenge some of the underlying tenets of what the audience considers authentic, namely, intrinsic motivation and the pursuit of social, rather than economic, value. The authenticity paradox, then, is that even as the appeal of authentic offerings increases, their popularity and iconicity diminish the returns to authenticity. We find support for these ideas in the context of the U.S. market for craft beer and discuss the implications of our theory for authenticity research and for the broader market and social dynamics in craft industries.

Factors Influencing Competitiveness in the Global Beer Trade

Beer is a widely produced, consumed, and traded alcoholic drink all around the world. This paper investigates the factors influencing competitiveness in the global beer trade on the macroeconomic level. To reach this aim, descriptive analysis and panel regression together with stability tests were used on the global beer market from 1998 to 2017. Results showed high concentration both in global production and trade, while except for the most competitive beer-exporting countries, the level of comparative advantages has significantly changed in these three decades. Based on the panel regression models, total beer production and per capita consumption, EU membership, and the number of beers with geographical indications have a positive impact on comparative advantages. In contrast, barley production, level of foreign direct investments, size of the population, GDP/capita, and high quality level of the beer export have a negative effect.

Requisitos de produto para um projeto de cerveja artesanal

O mercado de cervejas artesanais tem se mostrado bastante promissor, com crescimento ao longo dos anos e estímulo à abertura de novos empreendimentos tanto de produção como de comercialização desses produtos. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de identificar e qualificar, por meio da ferramenta de desdobramento da função qualidade (QFD, por sua sigla em inglês), os requisitos de produto para um projeto informacional de uma cerveja artesanal, sob a visão do consumidor do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. A pesquisa, de base exploratória, utilizou a ferramenta qfd para identificar as necessidades dos clientes e, a partir disso, traduzi-las em atributos do produto. Em termos de resul­tados, a pesquisa destaca o perfil dos consumidores pesquisados, ressaltando quais características devem-se priorizar no processo de desenvolvimento de uma nova cerveja artesanal. Identificou-se interesse pelo aspecto encorpado, assim como qualidade no aroma e sabor do malte. O consumidor não se mostrou tão sensível ao preço para o estilo ale e weiss. Quanto à cerveja tipo lager, o preço ainda permanece como um diferencial. Apontou-se importância na concentração do lúpulo e na concentração e qualidade do malte para os três diferentes tipos de cerveja.

Viabilidade econômica de instalação de microcervejaria em Belo Horizonte-MG com base no perfil de consumo de cervejas artesanais no Brasil

A participação do Brasil no mercado de cerveja tem grande destaque atualmente devido às proporções imprevisíveis e notáveis que a produção nacional tem assumido nas últimas duas décadas. O estado de Minas Gerais se destaca em produção artesanal de cerveja e se configura como o segundo estado brasileiro na produção de rótulos especiais. Neste contexto, este trabalho apresenta os custos de instalação de uma microcervejaria, e analisa a viabilidade da implantação de uma microcervejaria na cidade de Belo Horizonte-MG com base nos indicadores financeiros e no perfil de consumo de cervejas artesanais. Consideramos os custos com o processo de produção da bebida (maltagem, moagem, mostura, fervura, fermentação, maturação, filtração, envase e expedição) e para avaliar o perfil de consumo, fez-se uma pesquisa com aplicação de questionário para um público diversificado. O empreendimento proposto é rentável, considerando que o mercado cervejeiro está em alta no Brasil e a região escolhida para instalação do mesmo é promissora. Consideramos todos os cálculos referentes ao Payback Simples, VPL e TIR, e TMA acima da taxa SELIC. Os resultados foram positivos, com os valores de 5 meses de tempo de retorno do capital, R$ 6.326,77 e 19% (VPL e TIR, respectivamente). O perfil do mercado consumidor brasileiro de cerveja artesanal é robusto e inclui pessoas de ambos os gêneros, diversos níveis de escolaridade e classes socioeconômicas. Os dados do estudo indicam que o maior percentual de consumidores é do sexo masculino, jovens até 35 anos, casados, pós-graduados moradores do Sudeste.

Use of olive (Olea europaea L.) leaves as beer ingredient, and their influence on beer chemical composition and antioxidant activity.

Olive leaves are well known for their high polyphenol content and beneficial effects to human health. The two main phenolic compounds of olive leaves are oleuropein and 3-hydroxytyrosol. Use of olive leaves as beer ingredient was evaluated, to investigate their contribution to bitterness and antioxidant activity of beer. Thirteen beer samples were produced, adding olive leaves during boiling at different boiling times, in different forms and concentrations. Three different forms were used: dry crumbled leaves, infusion, and atomized extract. The effects of olive leaves addition were evaluated through following analysis: total polyphenols content, oleuropein and 3-hydroxytyrosol content, antioxidant capacity, sensory analysis, shelf-life prediction. Results confirmed that addition of olive leaves highly increased polyphenol content of beers. Boiling time favored hydrolysis of oleuropein to 3-hydroxytyrosol. Antioxidant activity was not influenced by addition of olive leaves. Higher polyphenol content of beer samples increased colloidal instability of beer. Sensory analysis results demonstrated that about 10g/L of olive leaves imparts a sour/astringent taste and herbal aroma. A lower quantity of olive leaves (about 5g/L) allowed to obtain a beer with a pleasant sensory profile. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Our research was inspired by both the high interest in alternative ingredients able to add nutraceutical value to traditional food, and by the growing craft beer market, with its constant research for innovative and characterizing ingredients. This project has several aims: evaluate if olive leaves could partially substitute hops in beer bittering (reducing costs); if their addition increase beer polyphenol content; which amount and using technique gives the best results in terms of polyphenol extraction and sensory profile; how this addition influence beer stability. This work could then encourage new research about the nutraceutical value of this new type of beer.

How and why did craft breweries ‘revolutionise’ the beer market? The case of Poland

Abstract Since 2011, when the Pinta Brewery brewed the first AIPA-style beer in Poland, dynamic growth of the craft beer market has been observed. While there were 70 breweries in 2010, in 2019 there were already about 420, most of them small. The number of new beers on the market also increased rapidly each year in the analysed period, from around 80 in 2013 to about 2,500 in 2019. Similar changes were noted in other countries, including the USA, where it was accepted to call this phenomenon ‘the craft beer revolution’. The aim of this paper is to indicate the reasons for the emergence and development of this process, using Poland as a case study. Based on statistical data and content analyses, as well as studying the modern history of the beer market, the distribution of craft beer pubs and the names of craft breweries, this work provides evidence that the proliferation of microbreweries in Poland can be confirmed by concepts such as a resource-partitioning model, neolocalism, path dependence, and the diffusion of innovations.

Craft Beer Market in Argentina: An Exploratory Study of Local Brewers’ and Consumers’ Perceptions in Mar del Plata

AbstractDuring the last twenty years, Argentina’s craft beer industry has experienced steady growth, which led to an increase in the number of both breweries and consumers. One of the first and most important craft beer clusters in the country is in Mar del Plata, a popular tourist destination on the coast in east-central Argentina. The sustained popularity of craft beer in this city provides an interesting case study to analyze thoroughly the evolution of a craft beer cluster in a developing country. This article aims to analyze producers’ perceptions as well as consumers’ preferences toward craft beer, in order to understand the craft beer drinkers’ decisions and choices. We interviewed five craft brewers and conducted two focus groups with local craft beer consumers. The results show that neolocalism is highly valued in the industry by both producers and consumers. We identify two groups of craft beer consumers: beginners or social consumers and sophisticated or craft beer lovers. The attributes most appreciated by consumers are quality, flavor, and bitterness.

The Craft Beer Market in Argentina: An Exploratory Study of Local Brewers’ and Consumers’ Perceptions in Mar del Plata

During the last twenty years, Argentina’s craft beer industry has experienced steady growth, which led to an increase in the number of both breweries and consumers. One of the first and most important craft beer clusters in the country is in Mar del Plata, a popular tourist destination on the coast in east-central Argentina. The sustained popularity of craft beer in this city provides an interesting case study to analyze thoroughly the evolution of a craft beer cluster in a developing country. This article aims to analyze producers’ perceptions as well as consumers’ preferences toward craft beer, in order to understand the craft beer drinkers’ decisions and choices. We interviewed five craft brewers and conducted two focus groups with local craft beer consumers. The results show that neolocalism is highly valued in the industry by both producers and consumers. We identify two groups of craft beer consumers: beginners or social consumers and sophisticated or craft beer lovers. The attributes most appreciated by consumers are quality, flavor, and bitterness.

Ethanol Content in Australian and New Zealand Beer Markets: Exploratory Study Examining Public Health Implications of Official Data and Market Intelligence Reports

The Anglo-Celtic colonists of Australia and New Zealand brought with them heavy beer-drinking customs, and each country later developed similar temperance movements and alcohol policies. Yet their beer markets differed throughout the 20th century; for example, Australian men typically drank lager with 5% alcohol-by-volume (ABV), whereas New Zealand men drank ale with 4%ABV. We investigated the public health implications of recent developments in product availability, marketing, and country-level consumption patterns. We analyzed official data reporting beverage- and strength-specific volumes of ethanol available for sale in beer from 2000 to 2016, a period in which the countries had similar consumption trends; and did a thematic analysis of "market intelligence" reports. Per capita ethanol beer sales fell in both countries, accompanied by increases in market share of higher %ABV categories. Different definitions of beer strength hampered comparison between countries. In Australia, consumption of ethanol in mid-strength beer (3.01%-3.5%ABV) increased, whereas consumption of low-strength beer (<3%ABV) decreased. In New Zealand, consumption of high-strength beer (4.351%-5%ABV) increased whereas that of traditional mid-strength beer (2.501%-4.35%ABV) decreased substantially. Market reports cited consumer health concerns and demand for "craft beer" (typically high-strength) as competing influences in both markets, and reduced-alcohol beer as "the alcoholic drinks industry's-potentially lucrative-shield against accusations of irresponsibility." Declines in both high- and low-strength beer in Australia have potentially important implications. In New Zealand, the failure of low-strength beer to establish significant market share, along with increased consumption of high-strength beer, are noteworthy developments. Trend data on product ethanol content warrants scrutiny in public health surveillance globally, whereas research is needed on the role of ethanol content within industry strategy.

Winners and losers of the global beer market: European competition in the view of product life-cycle

Abstract The European brewing industry has experienced considerable development related to the changes of beer production volume. These trends are generalised by Vernon’s concept of product life-cycle that is already anchored in the economic geography. The differences of its growth, maturity and decline stages are important to study transnational corporations’ (TNC) strategies within the combination of different stages of all European markets. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to verify how the TNCs’ behaviour in individual countries depends on the stages of their beer markets. In the beer life-cycle perspective, Europe can be divided into several regions with a similar stage of development. Expected behaviour of brewing TNCs in the dependence of the countries’ stage in the beer life-cycle have been proved in the large extent. Some interesting differences were, however, also found. The paper finally pointed on the rising beer life-cycle of microbreweries, which could replace the life-cycle of traditional breweries.

No Beer No Friends: Quantifying the Effect of the Beer Boycott

We study the impact of the boycott on Japanese products, initiated in July 2019, in the Korean beer market. First, we find that sales of Japanese beer decreased by 75 percent on average during the 14-month boycott period in the data. Second, the decrease in Japanese beer sales during the boycott period mostly reflected an increase in domestic beer sales, while demand for outside alternatives has been relatively stable. Third, the post-boycott demand curve of Japanese beer seems to be less elastic than the pre-boycott demand curve. Lastly, the intensity of the boycott effect has remained strong and stable despite a substantial decrease in traditional media coverage since the outbreak of the boycott movement. Our analysis addresses both price endogeneity, as firms may respond to the boycott by adjusting prices, and consumers' substitution to non-Japanese beers from Japanese beers by simulating the post-boycott beer sales had the boycott not occurred. The approach may provide more complete delineation of the effects of a boycott in the market, compared to previous studies that focused only on the boycotted products. Our empirical findings suggest that political tensions can severely distort market outcomes and disturb international trade in an extended period, and that the magnitude and persistence of the boycott may depend on consumer preferences and market conditions such as the existence of close substitutes along with social and political factors.

Merger, Product Repositioning and Firm Entry: The Retail Craft Beer Market in California

We study the effects of merger on firm entry, product variety and prices in the retail craft beer market in California. We develop a new method to estimate multiple-discrete choice models in order to recover fixed costs. The method is based on bounds of conditional choice probabilities and does not require solving a game. Using the estimated model, we simulate a counterfactual merger where a large brewery acquires multiple craft breweries. In most markets, we find that new firms enter, non-merging incumbents add products, and merging firms drop products. However, the net effects of product variety from new firm entry and incumbent product portfolio adjustment differ considerably across markets. Larger markets are more likely to see an increase in product variety, which moderates the loss of consumer surplus from the merger's price effects. In a majority of smaller markets, product variety decreases, exacerbating the welfare loss from the price effects.

¿Qué Impulsa la Elección de una Cerveza Artesanal? En Busca de los Atributos Preferidos por el Consumidor Chileno

The craft beer market in Chile is growing at a high rate within a fragmented and competitive industry. The pur- pose of the work was to determine, in a prospective way, the influence of certain attributes of craft beer on con- sumer purchasing preferences according to seven segmentation criteria (sex, age, occupation, income, frequency, mode of consumption and place of purchase). Through the use of the conjoint analysis, four attributes and twelve levels of study were evaluated (Alcoholic degree: low, medium, high; Origin: regional, national, imported; Type: blonde, amber, black; and Price: 1.5 USD, 2.0 USD, 3.5 USD), defined through documentary review and expert interviews. The results, obtained through a survey applied to 150 consumers in the Coquimbo Region, revealed that craft beer is associated with a collective, socializing and better tasting beverage than industrial manufacturing. The determining attributes of purchase are the type of beer and the alcoholic degree, the origin and price being the least relevant. Specifically, a light beer is preferred, with medium graduation (4.0-5.9°), regional origin and high price. The differences between segments revealed that the type of beer is more relevant for people who consume occasionally and that alcoholic graduation is essential for economically active people. The study provides relevant information for craft beer producers, in favor of their commercial development and positioning in the industry.

Brand authenticity leads to perceived value and brand trust

Purpose This paper investigates consumer perceptions of brand authenticity (BA), perceived value (PV) and brand trust (BT) into the context of craft beer market. The purpose of this paper is to examine the statistical associations between these constructs as well as the three antecedents of BA: individuality, consistency and continuity. Design/methodology/approach The survey, delivered in an online format, was completed by 749 respondents from the USA. These respondents were gained through a basic simple random sampling technique. After conducting data analysis techniques such as reliability, correlation and regression, all five research hypotheses were accepted. Findings All three antecedents of BA were found to have significant influence on the first-order construct. Also, BA was shown to have a substantial effect on both PV and BT. The relationship between brand individuality and BA was the most significant of the five, while the association between BA and PV was found to be the least significant. Originality/value Prior research on BA, the majority of which has involved a qualitative approach, has been severely limited. The authors’ work deepens the study of the effects of BA, or its various antecedents, on PV and BT, enhancing the research with an empirical, quantitative analysis. In addition to the shortage of investigation related to these factors, there has been a nearly complete absence of the application of these variables to the craft beer market.