Just when you thought you’ve learned everything there is to know about beer, here we come in with countries that export the most beer in the world. Beers from these countries are a part of every supermarket’s beer shelves and bar’s counters.
Every day we find out something interesting about beer. In ancient Egypt beer was even a currency, since Egyptian pyramid workers were paid in beer. Also did you know that beer can go bad? Now you will say that “no one is crazy enough to let their beer go to waste”, but stranger things have happened. Beer can endure lots of things without going bad, but the light isn’t one of them.
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It isn’t all great and perfect when it comes to beer. People tend to forget that beer is made for moderate and occasional use, so they drink it more than recommendable (two 12 ounces glasses per day). This way, without noticing at first, people are causing themselves major problems, since exaggeration in beer can slow down the central nervous system, increase blood pressure, trigger asthma and etc. Have these things in mind when you are about to order your 4th or 5th round.
Now that we are done with some dark sides of beer, let’s go back to celebrating it. Beer is not just one of the most popular drinks in the world, but also a very lucrative business with estimated $13.4 billion worth of beer is exported every year. To determine 10 countries that export the most beer in the world, we used data collected by International Trade Center, the only source that had information on beer exports on an annual basis. The latest data is from the year 2014 and shows the countries that exported the highest value of beer. We took 10 countries that had the largest beer exported value in USD and formed our list.
Of course, be sure to check our other beer related lists like one about countries that make the best beer in the world.
10. Portugal
Exported Value: $297 million
Beer made in Portugal is especially popular in Angola, a country where two-thirds of Portugal’s exported beer ends up. Beer export made by Portugal had 5% annual growth from 2010 to 2014. Most popular beer brands from Portugal are Super Bock, Sagres, and Coral.
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9. Ireland
Exported Value: $305,6 million
Ireland exports the most of its beer to the United Kingdom, with the value of export in 2014 being $144 million. Ireland, unlike the majority of other countries, recorded a decline of 4% in export value. The most popular beer brands from Ireland are Harp, Murphy’s and Guinness.
8. Denmark
Exported Value: $343,6 million
Denmark primarily bases its beer export to Western Europe, with Germany being the top destination for Denmark’s beer. The most popular beer brands from this country who dominate the export and the domestic market are Tuborg and Carlsberg.
7. France
Exported Value: $468 million
France had a large increase in its export value by 11% from 2010 to 2014. Almost half of beer brewed in France ends up in Spain. The most popular beer brands from France are Jenlain, Kronenbourg, and Pelforth.
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6. United States
Exported Value: $541,8 million
Although the United States are world’s second largest beer producer in the world, the majority of its beer ends up on the domestic market. The major consumers of American beer outside the United States are Canada and Mexico who are a destination for more than a half of all exported beer. The most popular beer brands from the United States are Bud Light, Budweiser, and Coors Light.
5. United Kingdom
Exported Value: $813,5 million
The UK obviously likes to drink their beer, rather than exporting it. The country has even had a decline of 1% in export value. Top export destinations for the UK’s beer are the United State, Ireland, and France. The most popular country’s beer brands are Newcastle Brown Ale, Stones Bitter, and Mackeson Stout.
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4. Belgium
Exported Value: $1,4 billion
If you followed our previous lists, you may have noticed that Belgium’s beers are always in the top part of lists, so it isn’t strange that there is a large demand for their beers in other countries. France, the United States and the Netherlands are among the countries that appreciate Belgian beers the most. Most popular beer brands from Belgium are Duvel, Chimay, and Leffe.
3. Germany
Exported Value: $1,42 billion
It is strange for Germans to ship such large amounts of their beer to other countries; you would think there isn’t even enough of it for their own domestic demand. Germany exports its beer mostly to European neighbors, but also to China and the United States. The most popular beer brands from Germany are Oettinger, Krombacher, and Bitburger.
2. Netherlands
Exported Value: $2,1 billion
Heineken from the Netherlands is world’s third largest brewery, so we understand why this country is one of the leaders in export. Almost two-thirds of all exported beer from the Netherlands ends up in the United States. Besides Heineken, other top brands are Grolsch and Bavaria.
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1. Mexico
Exported Value: $2,4 billion
I bet you didn’t expect this kind of twist on our list of 10 countries that export the most beer in the world. Well, Mexican breweries found out that there is a larger demand in the United States than in any other country, so they decided to fill the gap. The astonishing fact is that Mexico’s export to the United States is reported to be around $2 billion. Mexico’s beer other destinations are Canada and Australia. The most popular beer brands in Mexico are Corona, Dos Equis, and Tecate.
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