Friday 2 August 2019

Scottish beer exports 1916 - 1939

More Scottish shit for you today. You lucky devils.

Scottish brewers were responsible for around 15% of UK beer exports in the late 19th century, despite Scotland having only about 10% of the population of England. After WW I that rose to over 50% of exports.

The simple truth is that without exports to both England and abroad the Scottish brewing industry would never have been nearly so large. The local market just wasn’t big enough.

Before WW I their export markets had mostly been parts of the British Empire. Large quantities of beer were shipped both to the West indies and to Australia. But the latter market mostly disappeared when the new nation of Australia introduced import tariffs to encourage local industry. Instead the Scots turned attention to a rather closer market: Belgium.

What they shipped to Belgium was pretty much their West Indies favourite: strong, dark Scotch Ales. Sometimes similar to a Strong Ale sold in Scotland, others a beer specially brewed.


Beer Exported on Drawback and Free of Duty
England and Wales Scotland Ireland United Kingdom UK exports
1916 581,947 174,595 46,371 802,913
1917 314,333 73,896 30,095 418,324
1918 174,408 30,379 16,185 220,972
1919 470,794 195,995 33,821 700,610
1920 312,868 146,726 16,698 485,292 390,248
1921 215,719 92,193 12,648 320,560
1922 207,882 117,978 10,239 336,099 260,914
1923 176,913 108,544 2,270 287,727 257,454
1924 158,373 132,889 753 292,015 264,003
1925 180,731 145,603 415 326,749 290,824
1926 178,155 168,609 305 347,069 283,033
1927 156,258 179,242 232 338,732 287,445
1928 170,728 193,255 363,983 328,029ww
1929 176,381 223,638 400,019 352,942
1930 173,988 204,345 378,333 328,524
1931 159,278 147,527 306,805 289,516
1932 136,231 133,240 269,471 244,525
1933 117,363 126,254 243,617 217,981
Sources:
Brewers' Journal 1919, page 65.
Brewers' Journal 1922, page 71.
Brewers' Journal 1925, page 83.
Brewers' Journal 1928, page 87.
Brewers' Journal 1934, page 162.
Brewers' Almanack 1928, p. 115
Brewers' Almanack 1955, p. 57



The above is an extract from the best book ever written on Scottish brewing, my Scotland! vol. 2:





http://www.lulu.com/shop/ronald-pattinson/scotland-vol-2/paperback/product-23090497.htm

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