In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 countries with the most expensive beer. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global beer market, the rising prices of beer in the current market, and beer companies responding to increased costs, and go directly to 5 Countries with the Most Expensive Beer.
The importance of beer is recorded in one of the first recorded laws. The famous Code of Hammurabi decreed a daily beer ration to citizens of ancient Babylon. The drink was distributed according to social standing – common laborers received two liters daily, while priests and bureaucrats got five. In ancient Egypt, beer was essential for laborers, like those who built the pyramids of Giza, who were provided with a daily ration of over 10 pints of the tasty brew. Despite traditional belief, it was not slaves but a paid labor force that built some of the most iconic buildings in world history. And it was beer that fueled that labor.
Global Beer Market:
As we mentioned in our article – 20 Countries that Drink the Least Beer per Capita– the global brewing industry recovered partially from the devastating effects of the pandemic and reported a global production of 1.86 billion hectolitres in 2021, a 4% increase from the previous year. However, the market is yet to return to its pre-pandemic levels, when production peaked at 1.91 billion hectolitres in 2019.
If your idea of relaxing at the end of the day involves cracking open a cold one, you're not alone. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global beer market was valued at $793.74 billion last year and is projected to grow from $821.39 billion in 2023 to $1.07 trillion by 2030, with a CAGR of 3.88% during the forecast period.
The overall demand for premium and low-calorie beers, the rising popularity of craft beer, and the expansion of distribution networks in emerging markets are expected to continue driving growth in the global beer market over the next few years.
Most Expensive Beer in the World:
The most expensive beer in the world is widely believed to come from BrewDog, which makes The End of History. This is a Scottish beer that was first released more than a decade ago. The reason why this beer is so expensive is that it has an incredibly high ABV, coming in at 55% – much stronger than even most distilled spirits like whiskeys, vodkas etc. Brewed using crazy freezing techniques, and featuring hints of juniper berries, mead, and nettles, the ultra-limited blonde ale comes with a whopping price tag of around $850. Of course, being the world's strongest and most expensive beer wasn't enough for these restless brewmasters, so they took things one step further, and packaged the beer inside taxidermied roadkill, creating the endgame of premium beer. A few popular examples include hares and squirrels.
The Rising Prices of Beer:
Beer isn’t as much of a bargain as it used to be and beer prices worldwide have witnessed a sharp spike over the last two decades. Americans are drinking fewer brews, and the sector is steadily losing market share to spirits. Beer companies, faced with rising operating costs in areas like packaging and transportation, have raised prices and seen bigger profits, with consumers footing the bill.
The price of beer bought at retail locations, such as grocery stores, rose 5.9% for the 12 months through April 2023 compared with the prior year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate topped the overall 4.9% inflation for the same period. Since 2000, the price of retail beer consumed at home has increased more than 72%, while it has climbed even more for people drinking outside the home, jumping 102% during that time.
Beer Companies Respond to Increasing Costs
Beer companies have been raising prices, though they haven’t exactly been hurting for revenue. Guinness-owner Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) also raised the prices of its beer last month, for the second time this year. The latest increase added 4 cents to the cost of a pint, excluding VAT. The company gave rising costs as the reason behind the price increase. Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) last increased its prices in February, when it added 12 cents to the price of a pint due to ‘significant inflation in input costs across their operations’.
As of April 2023, Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) is the 6th Largest Beverage Company in the World. Warren Buffett initiated a position in the company in the first quarter of 2023 with 227,750 shares worth $39.510 million and his position in the company remained unchanged in the second quarter. In Q2, Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) represented 0.1% of Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio. The most prominent stakeholder in the company in Q2 was Markel Gayner Asset Management with 1.35 million shares, worth $234.23 million.
Price increases at the Chicago-based Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP) seem to have been enough to get the company through the latest economic headwinds. After raising prices by 10% in two phases last spring and fall, Molson Coors noted in its latest quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that such boosts helped stave off any losses the company might otherwise have faced due to higher costs.
In fact, the Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:TAP) experienced its best quarter of reported net sales revenue since the merger of Molson and Coors in 2005, the company announced on August 1st 2023. Compared to the second quarter last year, net sales revenue grew by 12.1% to $3.26 billion on a constant currency basis. Underlying pre-tax net income rose 52.6% to $502.2 million, up from $328.1 million, while earnings per share, on a diluted basis, increased 49.6% to $1.78.
With that said, here are the Countries with the Most Expensive Beer in the World.
20 Countries with the Most Expensive Beer
Valentyn Volkov/Shutterstock.com
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to the World Beer Index 2021 by Expensivity, to determine the Countries with the Costliest Beer. Expensivity ranks countries by the average price of 330 ml bottles of well-known beer brands (Heineken and Corona etc.) in super markets and hotel bars etc.
20. Poland
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.37
Poland is well known for its beer culture and many varieties. The country’s large breweries are all owned by multinational companies, however, Poland’s craft beer scene has seen great evolution over the last decade.
The foreign imported beers are largely served in 0.33 liter bottles, which always end up quite expensive, with the average price being around $5.3.
19. Mexico
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.46
Mexico ranks among the Top Beer Exporting Countries in the World. Mexico ships out twice as much beer as any other country and single-handedly accounts for 30% of the world’s entire export-beer market.
Imported beer brands, such as Heineken and Stella Artois, can cost up to $6.4, while the local craft brews will sit comfortably between $1.75 - $3.5 per bottle, depending on size and location.
18. Lithuania
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.55
With an annual beer consumption of 84.1 liters per capita, Lithuania sits among theCountries that Drink the Most Beer per Capita. Public menus of various bars in central Vilnius show that a glass of beer can range from $3.7 to $6.4, while non-alcoholic beer goes for around $3.2 to $5.3.
17. South Korea
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.56
Imported beers are widely available in Korea, but are generally expensive - usually costing at least $6 and as much as $11 for a pint of Guinness in bars in downtown Seoul, versus approximately $2.25 for local brands.
Beer got more expensive in April this year after the Ministry of Strategy and Finance raised the tax rate on beer by 3.5% per liter. South Korea is counted among Countries with the Most Expensive Pints.
16. Netherlands
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.6
Not only is beer the most popular alcoholic drink in the Netherlands, but it is also one of the country's biggest export products, as famous Dutch beer brands are sold all over the world. The Netherlands is home to Heineken – one of theMost Consumed Beer Brands in the World.
In July 2021, the Dutch government implemented a new law which capped discounts on alcohol at 25%, bringing an end to the chance for supermarkets and shops to offer buy-one-get-one-free discounts on alcoholic beverages. The new law was designed to limit alcohol consumption across the Netherlands, specifically among young people.
15. Germany
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.64
The cost-of-living crisis has reached supermarkets in Germany. While plenty of shelves remain empty as retailers and suppliers haggle over conditions to keep inflation down, beer prices have crept up. Super-deals of EUR 9.99 ($11) for a crate of beer have become a rare sight in the Western European country.
14. Malaysia
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.74
Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, so drinking alcohol is still viewed as a taboo. Although non-Muslims are permitted to buy alcohol, high excise taxes are the price of being able to drink in Malaysia. With these taxes included, beer, wine, and spirits can cost as much as they do in the U.S. and Western Europe, if not more.
Malaysia is counted among Countries with the Highest Beer Prices.
13. United States of America
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.75
America is popular for its craft beer culture and craft brews generally tend to come with a high price tag. The average craft brewery tends to produce beer in very small batches which drives the price up. Moreover, craft beers usually come with a variety of premium ingredients that raise the costs for the brewers.
12. Thailand
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $4.82
In order to discourage their consumption, the government of Thailand has placed heavy taxes on sugary drinks, cigarettes, and alcohol. These high taxes are usually called ‘sin taxes’. The production of local alcohol and import is also heavily levied with expensive taxes in Thailand. Hence, the prices of beer in the country are often higher than what is obtainable in several other similar nations.
In the E.U., drinking every day is most frequent in Portugal, with 20.7% of the population consuming alcohol daily. In line with rising inflation in the country, the Portuguese government decided to raise alcohol taxes by 4% last year. This means that Portuguese consumers now pay almost $23.3 per hectoliter of tax.
10. Russia
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $5.08
Due to a large number of Russians dealing with alcoholism and alcohol-related issues, the Russian government has taken an active role in implementing the recommendations of the EAPA to reduce the harmful use of alcohol by further increasing excise taxes, raising the minimum unit price of alcohol, and substantially reducing the availability of retail alcohol.
Imported beers have also gotten significantly more expensive in Russia since the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia sits among 10 Countries with the Most Expensive Beer.
9. Singapore
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $5.17
In Singapore, alcohol is among a handful of things that you have to pay duty and excise tax on when importing or producing. The current rate is about $55 per liter of pure alcohol, which means the more boozier, the more pricey. Throw in a bit of GST on as well and it soon doubles the price that it was purchased for at origin.
Rents and overheads are also pretty high in Singapore, which contribute towards the price of beer quickly growing, even if it was cheap when it left the brewery.
8. Denmark
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $5.2
A bottle of lager in Copenhagen can cost anywhere from around 35 to 45 DKK, which is equivalent to about $5 to $6.50. However, prices can vary depending on the type of lager, where you purchase it, and other factors.
Denmark has high alcohol taxes, which may explain why the cost of beer in Copenhagen is high. This could also be due to the high cost of ingredients used in making Danish beer.
7. Italy
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $5.83
In Italy, beer is more expensive if you compare it to the price of wine. This happens mainly because of the taxes. Big tax breaks that provide assistance to Italian winemakers do not apply to the country's brewers.
Italy ranks among European Countries with Expensive Beer.
6. Japan
Average Price of a 330ml bottle of Beer: $6.16
A bottle of beer in a Tokyo bar or restaurant can be ridiculously priced, sometimes costing up to $8. To counteract the country's largest liquor tax revenue decrease in 31 years, the Japanese National Tax Agency (NTA) launched a contest last year, asking people between the ages of 20 and 39 to develop business plans to increase alcohol demand among young people.
Japan ranks among Countries with the Most Expensive Beer in 2023.
