Beer in the DDR in the 1980s

Which is a subject very dear to my heart. Having drunk quite a bit of it.

But first, there are some general observations about beer  in Europe:

Beer here - beer there
Drinking habits are changing
The production in European breweries, which has grown enormously in recent years and decades, is finding its buyers: beer consumption has constantly increased. The beer drinker of today is very different from the beer drinker of the past. Today, the nutritional value of beer is no longer taken into account as food, but barley juice is considered a luxury food.

Drinking habits have also changed. Television keeps many people glued to their home screens. People like to drink a beer with it - and not just men. Women in particular are more appreciative of the alcoholic beverage, which is not at all strong, than before. These are general phenomena that have different effects in individual countries, but overall speak very much in favour of beer.
"Rund ums Bier" by Emil Ulischberger, Leipzig, 1986, page 48.

In the mid-1980s, the trend was sill for increased production and consumption of beer in most European countries. The author seems to recon  that this will continue. When, in fact, the opposite was true. At leas in Western European countries. hat wasn't the case in countries such as Poland, where there  was considerable unfulfilled demand.

Did home consumption convert more women to beer drinking? I'm not sure. In Germany, both East and West, it was pretty normal for women to drink beer.    Unlike in some countries, where it was considered a male drink.

The point about beer drinking moving away from being a way of taking in calories to something consumed purely for pleasure. Though, obviously, the calories still came along for the ride.

In the DDR, beer consumption rose considerably in the 1970s.

Beer in the GDR
In Europe, the GDR is one of the countries where the most beer is drunk. In 1982, an average of 152 liters per GDR citizen let run down their throats every year. From 1972 to 1982, production increased from just under 18 million to well over 25 million hectolitres annually. The trend is for beer consumption to increase.

In any case, the approximately 160 breweries in our country have to be prepared for this higher consumption.
"Rund ums Bier" by Emil Ulischberger, Leipzig, 1986, page 48.

Note that brewing is seen as any other industry, with increased production being a good thing. No temperance nonsense here.