Lager is still the most consumed beer. The majority (53%) of the Dutch prefer to drink a familiar glass of Dutch-made beer. Taste and interest in local beers are also a reason to choose beer from Dutch soil. No less than 48% of the Dutch drink beer at least once a month. More men than women drink beer every month (66% versus 30%). The more highly educated people are, the more often they drink beer every month (high 57%, intermediate 51%, low 37%). Special beers and beer mixes are on the rise. Two out of five beer drinkers are more likely to drink a different type of beer. A wide choice of beer types (42%) and a wide range of draft beers (43%). Due to the greater beer variety, beer is also increasingly chosen than other (alcoholic) drinks (40% versus 32% in 2016). And strikingly, this applies more to women (44%) than to men (38%). These trends come from the National Beer Survey among 1,000 beer-drinking Dutch people from Nederlandse Brouwers.
Specialty beers are widely consumed, but the new flavor enhancer in this segment appears to be specialty beer with a lower alcohol percentage. One in three opts for this variant more often than two years ago. And women (41%) do this significantly more often than men (29%). It is not only the specialty beers that are often served, alcohol-free beer also remains as popular as ever. About half of the beer drinkers sometimes drink it. Non-alcoholic beer mixes, such as Radlers, are the most popular among these drinkers (66%). When the weather is warm, a beer mix without alcohol is more often chosen, precisely because of the taste. The Dutch beer drinker himself sees the beer mixes, but also new beer food combinations, as the beer trends for 2018, according to the research.
Beer food combinations are also a new trend. One in three beer drinkers indicate that they sometimes consciously choose beer with their meal. Still, it is sometimes difficult to choose which beers fit best with the meal. Almost half of the Dutch beer drinkers (46%) like it when appropriate advice is given in the catering industry about a spiced beer combination. 50% even think it is logical that beer advice is also given in the catering industry in addition to wine advice.
