UK beer exports in 1869

It’s been a while since I threw a few handfuls of numbers at you. Get ready to dodge.

The figures come from a random article I stumbled upon. Weirdly, it’s a review of a directory: Kelly's Post Office Guide to London in 1871. A rather odd book to review, but it has provided me with some handy statistics.

In the second half of the 19th century the UK exported around half a million barrels of beer a year. Which sounds like a lot. But given that beer production was 25 to 30 million barrels, it means exports were no more than 2% of the total.

Unsurprisingly, a majority of UK beer exports went to parts of the British Empire. The two biggest export markets – India and Australia and New Zealand – took more than half the total. The biggest markets outside of the empire were, unsurprisingly the USA and, rather more surprisingly, Brazil. Add the beer exported to former Spanish colonies in South America and you get close to 40,000 barrels. The figures for Uruguay, Argentina and Chile are approximate. The article just says 6,000 – 7,000 barrels a year for each.

The West Indies always imported a lot of beer compared to their modest size. The favourites here were Strong Ale (often from Scotland) and Strong Stout. To India, obviously, there was a lot of IPA sent, but also rather more Porter. While Australia imported a broad range of British beers.

Not a lot of British beer made its way to continental Europe. Not that it ever did, really, until after WW I when Belgium became a major destination.

London was a major source of exports, particularly in the form of Porter and Stout. The article states that in 1860 80% of exports left through London. Which isn’t to say that all of that beer was brewed in London. A large proportion would have been Pale Ale transported down to London by train and then loaded onto ships.

UK beer exports in 1869
destination	barrels	%
India	167,660	32.16%
Australia and New Zealand	109,466	21.00%
the Cape and Natal	12,054	2.31%
Mauritius	2,562	0.49%
British West Indies	26,833	5.15%
Ceylon	8,495	1.63%
Singapore	4,117	0.79%
Gibraltar	11,941	2.29%
Total British Empire	343,128	65.83%
USA	21,198	4.07%
China, including Hong Kong	13,623	2.61%
Brazil	18,895	3.62%
Japan	313	0.06%
France	8,754	1.68%
Russia	3,009	0.58%
Spain	0	0.00%
Spanish Colonies	4,327	0.83%
Uruguay	6,000	1.15%
Argentine Confederation	6,000	1.15%
Chili	6,000	1.15%
other	90,025	17.27%
Total	521,272
Source:
Brewers' Guardian, vol. 1, 1869, July 1871, page 205.