Australians want to know who owns the craft beer they drink: survey

06-Sep-2017 - Last updated on 07-Sep-2017 at 12:01 GMT

For the majority of Australian craft beer drinkers (64%), knowing who owns the beer they drink is important, according to the 2017 Australian Craft Beer Survey.

There is also a ‘strong preference’ for craft beer from independently owned Australian breweries, with 99% of drinkers happy to buy craft beer from such breweries; 23% happy to buy from a large multi-national; and 32% happy to buy from from supermarket brands, says the survey.

Support for craft beer seal

Carried out by online craft beer supermarket Beer Cartel, the survey questioned more than 17,000 craft beer drinkers.

“Craft beer is the only segment of the Australian beer market which is in continuous growth, with overall consumption of beer in decline,” says Beer Cartel.

“Craft beer is an artisanal product that is 'hand crafted' using the best ingredients available. It is not mass produced and has a sense of origin; a small brewery that people can visit, meet the brewer and try the beers. Ownership appears to matter because it is part of the story that is unique to each individual craft brewery.”

The survey found that craft beer drinkers are happy to buy beer from Australian independent breweries (99%), as well as gypsy brewers (those who brew their beers at someone else's brewery, 85%).

It also found that drinkers had strong interest in a seal to identify beer that has come from an independent Australian brewery, with 82% agreeing this would have a ‘medium to large impact’ on the craft beer they chose to purchase. The US and the UK already have independent brewery seals, helping consumers identify where their beer has come from.

Meanwhile, 95% of craft beer drinkers believe the quality of Australian craft beer is improving. Beer Cartel believes a continued focus from new and existing breweries on creating consistent, quality brews, alongside ingredient innovations in hops, malts, yeast and water, will help advance the sector even further.

Other key findings of the survey were:

People aged 30-39 years old make up the largest segment (41%) of Australian craft beer drinkers. The 18-29 year old group makes up 24% of drinkers, and those in the 40-49 year old bracket make up 23%.
Most craft beer drinkers (90%) have been drinking craft beer for three or more years. Only 1% of drinkers surveyed had been interested in craft beer for less than a year.
The main beer styles consumed by craft beer drinkers are relatively unchanged compared to 2016. Pale Ale remains the most consumed, while IPA is the overall favorite.