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Spain can be considered as a mainly beer country
Beer consumption is estimated to be around 50 liters per person per year, which is more than triple the amount of wine consumed.
Both drinks have a high social component, but in recent decades beer has long established itself. Going with beer is much more than just a simple act of drinking, it is one of the most important ways of socializing in our country.
Indeed, you can also go for wines, but the difference in alcohol content between the two drinks (beer has an average of 5º, while wine graduation ranges from 10º to 14º) allows a greater consumption of beer.
The trend healthy, the great and growing concern for health and moderation in the consumption of alcohol make beer a clear winner when it is alternated. It is in the catering establishments where around 80% of beer is consumed in Spain.
Few pleasures are comparable to tasting a good and fresh cane or tap beer and, with rare exceptions, these must be found in bars and restaurants.
Spain, a beer country
El beer consumption It is the majority in Spain, with few differences between regions, something typical of Mediterranean countries and which takes place especially in bars, the main social meeting points for people of all ages (we are referring to those of legal age, of course) and condition.
Almost 80% of the 40 million hectoliters of beer consumed in Spain per year is made outside the home, that is to say, in the premises of hospitality. More than 70% of Spaniards associate this drink with moments of conviviality, and almost 50% consider it their favorite drink.
Beer, an essential drink in Mediterranean culture
Although it is wine that is considered a perfect drink to accompany food and their pairing has a bibliography that could occupy a large part of the National Library, beer has nothing to envy in this regard.
70% of consumers drink beer in company with food, either in the appetizers or during the menus and dinners. The custom of tasting beer with tapas and pinchos at aperitif time to switch to a third of the wine when sitting at the table is a thing of the past.
Beer / food pairing is an increasingly widespread reality and fits very well with the healthy Mediterranean diet.
The powerful link between beer and hospitality in Spain
The link between hospitality and beer is very close in our country. You just have to observe that this drink supposes about 25% of the turnover of the bars, and that this percentage can reach 40% in businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
It can be said that bars and beer fulfill a function of cultural and social union of the first magnitude in the surroundings of Spain and the set of Mediterranean countries.
Although it may seem that attendance at bars is much higher on weekends, the truth is that the difference between Saturdays and Sundays (around 95%) and work days (81%) is really small.
Initiatives to get to know the beer production centers
The Spanish Brewers Association, which brings together the main producers, has a series of initiatives to publicize the world of beer among the Spanish population.
Among them, the one known as “Your beer is like that” stands out, which offers beer lovers the opportunity to visit and see first-hand the entire production process, from its beginning in the field until it ends in the hotel and catering establishments.
Other initiatives include, in addition to the regular visits, interesting Food tastings and tastings led by master brewers that delve into the singularities and qualities of beer, as well as its pairing possibilities.
Beer consumption by autonomous communities
The beer sector accounts for 1,3% of GDP, with widespread consumption in all the territories of Spain. However, there are variations in the percentage of beer consumers according to the different Autonomous Communities.
The communities with the highest per capita consumption, between 20% and 23%, are the Balearic Islands, Murcia, Andalusia, Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid, while in those with the lowest, between 11% and 14% They are Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia, the Basque Country, Aragon and Castilla y León.
As can be seen, the implantation of beer in central and southern Spain is notably higher than in the north. And, despite being a seasonally adjusted drink, beer is still more palatable when the heat hits.
It can be said that beer is already part of the cultural heritage of Spain, at a level similar to that of wine, that of Iberian ham, and which, together with bars, restaurants and other hospitality establishments, largely shapes the customs and idiosyncrasies of the Spanish.