Asian beer manufacturers produced 103 billion pints of beer in 2009, an increase of 5.5 per cent compared to the previous year.
At the same time, European beer companies experienced a production drop of 5.1 per cent to 97 billion pints during the same period, according to a study by the research department of Kirin Holdings Co, the Japanese beer giant.
Defying cultural stereotypes of beer-swilling Europeans, it is the first time that Asia has assumed the top spot in the world’s beer producing since annual records began in 1974 by the Kirin Institute of Food and Lifestyle.
Japan, however, did not contribute to the surge in beer production in Asia, instead experiencing a two per cent drop in production levels during the same period.
The continued decline in Japan’s beer industry has prompted breweries to increasingly invest outside the country.
Vietnam, however, is enjoying a steady increase in the popularity of its beers, with its popular labels Hanoi Beer and Saigon Beer recently chosen to be the official beverages at this year’s Berlin International Beer Festival.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
