Beer sales are back in full swing after two years of coronavirus lockdowns

Beer sales are going well again, after two years of coronavirus lockdowns. Dutch brewers sold almost 13 percent more beer first half of the year than during the same six months in 2021.

At that time, bars, cafes, restaurants, and other businesses were required to remain closed for a lengthy period of time. Many festivals, conferences, and events were also cancelled. Now that those restrictions have been lifted, people in the Netherlands actually drank slightly more beer than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.

Compared to the period before the pandemic, brewers sold 1.5 percent more beer, reported the Nederlandse Brouwers, a trade association for Dutch brewers. The newly-appointed chair, Fred Teeven, said that brewers were working overtime to be able to provide enough supply. "What I am seeing is that every effort must be made to meet the high demand for beer everywhere. They are working extremely hard and their drive is enormous," said the former Cabinet state secretary.

Despite the strong sales figures, the organization also said their were concerns looming, such as higher costs for raw materials and energy. Additionally, just like for many other employers, it is difficult to maintain sufficient staffing levels. Also, Teeven complained about the increase of the consumption tax on non-alcoholic drinks which will take effect next year, because non-alcoholic beer will become more expensive.

Nederlandse Brouwers counts many of the country’s largest breweries among its members. This includes Heineken Nederland, Grolsch, and Bavaria parent Swinkels Family Brewers.