In light of the recent deals between AB InBev and SABMiller, Alltech released its first Global Craft Beer Survey. In short, what it found was that craft beer is becoming a strong staple throughout the entire world, not just in the U.S.
The study concluded that craft breweries worldwide are comprised of more than 10,000, with 86 percent of those in North America and Europe — Europe beating North America by only three, according to the release.
“The rise of craft beer as a beverage of choice is indicative of consumers’ demand for differentiated, interesting and quality products,” said Aidan Connolly, the chief innovation officer for Alltech.
The Global Craft Beer Survey utilized information through partnerships with local beverage associations and Alltech’s salesforce, which operates in 128 countries. It found that the top 10 locations for craft breweries worldwide were the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.
“It is fascinating to compare the number of craft breweries in each country,” said Connolly. “While Japan leads the Asia-Pacific region with 200 craft breweries, New Zealand is by far the leader in number of breweries per head of population with 23 times more breweries per head than Japan.”
One question that the study raised was the number of breweries in China against the number of beer drinkers in the country. China doesn’t even have 60 craft breweries, but in terms of consumption China rivals the U.S. Could this be the next major boom for craft brewing, or more of a greater opportunity as a U.S. export?
Connolly estimated the craft beer industry’s net worth at $50 billion.
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