Craft breweries helped push beer production and exports higher in 2015
The rise of craft breweries helped push beer production and exports higher in 2015, according to the Irish Brewers Association.
In its annual Beer Market Report for Ireland, the business group said 750m litres of beer were produced in Ireland last year – up 6% year on year and the first rise in production since 2011.
43% of that was exported at a value of more than €265m, an increase of 16% on 2014.
Microbreweries were taking up a larger portion of those sales than before, with craft labels representing 2% of Ireland’s beer market last year, compared with just 1.2% in 2014.
The report finds beer is still the most popular alcoholic drink in Ireland, with a 47% market share. Both stout (33.4% markets share) and ale sales (6.2% market share) have risen steadily in the last five years.
The IBA said the excise on beer contributed €417m to the exchequer last year – with the country maintaining the third highest rate of tax in Europe.
It has called on the Government to reduce excise duties in the upcoming budget.
Head of the IBA Jonathan McDade said: “Irish consumers pay the third highest rates of excise on beer in the European Union, 11 times greater than beer drinkers in Germany.
“Excise is a tax on jobs, tourism, and the hospitality sector and we call on the Government to reduce excise on Ireland’s hard-pressed consumers.”
Source: RTE
