Drinking Beer Helps the Economy

By / Wine + Drinks / May 31st, 2011 / 1

Maybe beer doesn’t make the world go round. But, according to statistics, drinking it might certainly help the economy go round. It still reigns as Canada’s most popular beverage in terms of volumes consumed and dollars sold. How much do you consume over any given weekend? Hopefully, not so much that you’re bleary-eyed for days after. Enjoyed responsibly, beer offers as much complexity to tickle the palate as wine. The right beer can be paired with practically any kind of food, just like wine. And that adventurous spirit can be well satisfied by the array of international beers available for purchase.

Here at home, Canadian micro-breweries are popping up all over. Many don’t produce enough volume to be sold through the larger liquor outlets. So, that offers beer lovers the perfect opportunity to visit the actual premises where beer is being made. Take a tour of your local micro-breweries; there are probably more situated close to you than you might think. Talk to the brew masters about what makes their beers unique, and try a few while you’re there to see what you think. You’re sure to find a treasure or two.

In the meantime, here are some interesting ways the beer industry supports the Canadian economy.

 

• 56% of all alcoholic beverages consumed during the summer months is beer.

• Canadian beer consumption per year remains at about 83 litres per person.

• This summer, Canadians are likely to consume 1.9 billion servings of beer, the equivalent of 356 Olympic-sized swimming pools

• Popular Summer Styles – Witbiers; Hefeweizens; Pilsners; IPAs; Fruit Beers

• Top Beer-Drinking Provinces – British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec

• The brewing industry (through production, marketing and sales) generates more than 205,000 jobs.

• The brewing industry contributes $14 billion to the Canadian economy and a total of $4.3 billion in taxes (federal, provincial and municipal).

Statistics provided by Molson-Coors Canada.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Mantini has always loved words. When she isn't working as the Associate Editor at Tidings Magazine, she's helping others achieve their writing dreams, and sometimes she even relaxes with a good book and a glass of wine.

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