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Sunday, 20 August 2023

Beer Imports in the 1970s

In the 19th century, UK beer imports were almost 100% Lager. That changed after 1922 with Irish independence. Overnight, the largest import became Irish Stout.

Nothing much had changed by the 1970s.  Over 50% of imports were from the Republic of Ireland and most of the rest Lager from Northern Europe.

There was a decline in imports over the decade of around 500,000 barrels. But this can almost totally be accounted for by the decline in imports from Denmark. I assume this because Carlsberg switched production to the UK.

Biggest winner over the period was Germany, volumes rising from 55,000 barrels in 1971 to over 400,000 barrels in 1979. I wonder what that was. Holsten Pils? Was that really brewed in Germany?

Not sure why Belgian imports shot up in 1973 to 1976. Could that be a Lager like Stella first being imported and then brewed locally? This is too early for it to be a top-fermenting

I’m also intrigued by the increase in imports from the USA. What could that be? Probably dome shitty Lager.

Despite imports falling by half a million barrels between 1971 and 1980, the UK still had a deficit of around a million barrels a year. With imports easily outstripping exports every year.Lager.

UK beer imports 1971 - 1975
Country of Origin 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
Belgium 22,246 31,481 89,739 102,681 99,073
Denmark 501,062 614,045 721,845 250,140 268,892
France 3,682 10,462 4,265 5,056 3,713
Republic of Ireland 1,350,138 1,269,805 1,379,896 1,221,315 1,181,862
Italy — 3 138 107 362
Netherlands 59,288 30,633 21,471 73,669 30,014
W. Germany 55,159 72,600 100,860 127,285 176,279
Czechoslovakia 2,248 2,241 3,337 3,593 3,632
Norway 6,735 5,821 6,515 5,767 4,915
Switzerland 3,927 5,275 6,913 7,760 6,422
Australia 5,469 10,571 18,778 24,103 27,744
U.S.A 311 427 916 1,133 1,135
Other Countries 1,715 2,752 2,955 11,416 3,082
Total 2,011,980 2,056,116 2,357,628 1,834,025 1,807,125
Source:
The Brewers' Society UK Statistical Handbook 1980, page 16.

 

UK beer imports 1976 - 1980
Country of Origin 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980
Belgium 65,483 22,018 14,818 46,577 27,031
Denmark 291,437 83,918 28,699 33,934 8,265
France 967 1,177 1,236 1,204 862
Republic of Ireland 1,200,537 1,082,030 1,107,174 1,095,500 1,053,401
Italy 409 349 931 1,258 787
Netherlands 48,521 43,677 33,619 47,945 41,810
W. Germany 228,045 307,589 346,766 416,064 388,872
Czechoslovakia 3,933 2,565 3,333 3,182 3,377
Norway 2,635 1,648 1,772 1,359 1,179
Switzerland 1,596 294 248 548 287
Australia 24,899 13,512 17,211 22,282 25,843
U.S.A 1,573 3,157 4,903 4,492 7,341
Other Countries 8,818 2,799 2,283 4,061 16,851
Total 1,878,853 1,564,733 1,562,993 1,678,406 1,575,906
Source:
The Brewers' Society UK Statistical Handbook 1980, page 16.

 

 

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous20 August 2023 at 00:39

    Could the US stuff include something like Colt 45? I remember that being around in the 70's

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  2. Matt20 August 2023 at 00:40

    Given that nearly all of the imported beer from Ireland would have been Guinness, a couple of things strike me. The Guinness brewery at Park Royal in London supplied the South and Midlands then, so only the North and Scotland were getting the imported stuff. I think they must be including in the figures the beer Guinness sent to Northern Ireland, which people drinking it in pubs and bars there wouldn't have thought of as a foreign or imported product even if legally it was.

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  3. Bribie G20 August 2023 at 00:42

    The Australian figures are interesting, increasing during the 70s due not only to "draft dodgers" avoiding the Vietnam War but the given situation at the time that Australia was a "branch office" country and anyone with career ambitions would naturally polish up their resumes with a spell at head office in London before returning to the outer regions of the Empire.

    So the big Aussie expat population in places such as "Kangaroo Valley" in London and elsewhere in the provinces demanded and got Fosters, XXXX and many other brews. I remember tasty brews like Reschs Dinner Ale, Cascade Pale Ale and so on available at many off licences. And don't forget the Vegemite and Cherry Ripe bars.

    The 1981 figures would be illuminating as that's when Courage started the awful Fosters BUL and then Allied started with XXXX.

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  4. Rob Sterowski20 August 2023 at 08:52

    I think in the 70s quite a few German breweries tried their luck on the UK market.

    Holsten Pils would definitely have been one of the main contenders with the meteor-like popularity of bottled Pils. But it’s also the start of Beck’s coming into fashion, which made a point of advertising that it was only ever brewed in Bremen.

    I see a lot of references to Löwenbräu being in UK pubs in the late 60s and early 70s too. They eventually tied up with Allied but I don’t know when the latter started brewing it locally.

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  5. Bribie G20 August 2023 at 17:24

    On the Belgian figures, I lived in Cardiff in the early to mid 70s and in response to Stella, the Bass group imported the strong lager "Lamot" on Keg from Antwerp. The brewery was part of their Belgian Bass group.

    It was in most of the Welsh Brewers (Bass) pubs back then and five pints would get you legless. It appeared out of nowhere so I guess was initially imported. The only official ref I can find to brewed under licence is in this snippet which suggests 1980 but it was all the rage in the early 70s as many a hangover attested!!

    http://www.gullivertaverns.co.uk/Breweries/Belgium_Breweries/Lamot/Lamot_Brewery.html

    I see a 4.7% version still brewed by Molson Coors, presumably at the old Bass brewery.

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