Beer consumption in Switzerland

April 29th, Beer Day in Switzerland dedicated to the thousand-year-old business of brewing beer in order to honor this product in all its diversity. Beer consumption in Switzerland is synonymous with tradition, pleasure, variety, good company. The Swiss mainly associate beer with events: festivals, sports or meals. So, let's dive into the discovery of this culture closely linked to the country.

Beer consumption per capita in Switzerland and its evolution over the years

Composed of water, malt, hops, yeast, nearly 8 out of 10 beers consumed in Switzerland are made in the country, made in Switzerland. The Swiss consume an average of 50 to 55 liters of beer per year. According to the Swiss market, 53.5 liters consumed per capita in 2022 or 4,732,148 hectoliters (hl) by total consumption, this figure drops slightly in 2023 with 50.7 liters per capita or 4,559,278 hectoliters consumed in total, a drop due in part to an interest in healthier lifestyles. A study reveals that beer is a drink mainly appreciated in summer, its consumption increases by 10 to 15% between 20 o C and 25 o C, by 20 to 30% between 25 o C and 30 ° C, but decreases by 5 to 15% above 30 o at the risk of dehydration. Consumers then choose hydrating drinks, one in four beers is served in restaurants. In 2023, beer consumers paid almost 320 million francs to the Confederation in taxes and VAT.

Production cost per company, preferences.

In Europe, Switzerland has the largest number of breweries per capita with around 1,192 breweries in 2023, this figure is explained by the explosive number of beer varieties. The canton of Bern is the one that brews the most beers nationally with more than 200 active companies. The canton of Zurich slips to second place with 164 breweries. The Feldschlösschen group occupies the first place among the largest beer producers in Switzerland with around 40% of the hopped beverages made, responsible for the production of the following beers: Cardinal, Hürlimann, Gurten Bier Blonde, Super Bock, Valaisanne and Feldschlösschen. Heineken ranks second with a share of 16.5%, brands such as Calanda, Eichhof, Ittinger Bier, Haldengut, Heineken, Birra Moretti, Ziegelhof are produced. The Appenzelloises Quöllfrisch, Vollmond and Brand Löscher are produced by the Locher brewery, this brewery accounts for 14% of production. Ramseier ranks fourth with 10% and many others. In 2023, the breweries of Switzerland produced a total of 3,536,549 hectoliters of beer. Around 34% of the beer drunk in the country is sold to consumers in reusable packaging (bottles or kegs). Every year the Swiss Beer Awards take place, 550 beers tasted this year by a jury of 80 people. Crowned the winner, the larger is the most consumed style in Switzerland, easy to drink and produced by large breweries such as Feldschlösschen and Cardinal.

Although Switzerland has the largest number of breweries with a considerable number of consumptions per hectolitre, it only occupies 17th place in Europe in 2022. Beer thus remains the most popular alcoholic beverage among the Swiss.