The Great Belgian Beer Overstock: Are We Losing Our Religion? 🍻

This morning, while sipping my coffee (ironic, I know), I was completely triggered by an article in the daily newspaper. There is currently a massive, unprecedented wave of promotional actions and discounts on beer in our supermarkets. And I am not talking about obscure microbrews; I am talking about the holy trinity of regular Belgian pilsner: Jupiler, Stella Artois, and Cristal.

At first, I didn't think too much of it. A discount is a discount, right? But the underlying reason is actually a bit shocking for a country that prides itself on its deeply rooted beer culture. The brewers are panicking because they simply cannot get rid of their stock. These massive supermarket promos are a desperate attempt to clear out mounting overstock. Why? Because, believe it or not, the Belgian population is drinking less and less beer.

The Sobering Statistics

If we pull up the numbers from the last few years, the downward trend is undeniable. Over the past decade, domestic beer consumption in Belgium has structurally dropped by nearly 20%. If we zoom in on the last three to five years, the slide continues heavily: 2023 saw a massive 6% drop in domestic consumption, and 2024 followed with another 2.1% decrease, leaving us at around 6.4 million hectoliters sold.

To put that into an individual perspective: the average Belgian currently consumes about 8.42 liters of pure alcohol per year. Of that total, 3.6 liters comes directly from beer. That might sound like a modest number until you do the math—that is more than 70 liters of beer per person, or roughly 288 standard pints! Yet, historically speaking, our glasses are getting emptier.

Why is the Tap Running Dry?

So, what is causing this national drought? There are several major factors at play here:

• An Ocean of Alternatives: When my generation went out, the menu was brilliantly simple: you drank beer. Today, even the smallest, most basic local parties have a full-blown cocktail bar. The youth are sipping Aperol Spritz, Mojitos, Bellinis, and fancy mocktails. Beer is no longer the undisputed default.

• The Youth is Shifting: The younger demographic, particularly those between 22 and 30 years old, simply drink less beer than we did at their age.

• The Rise of Specialty Beers: We are trading volume for gravity. Instead of downing ten regular pilsners, many Belgians now prefer to sit down and savor a couple of heavy, complex specialty beers.

• Economic & Health Factors: Inflation has made a night out noticeably more expensive, and a broader focus on health has led to a massive surge in the popularity of 0.0% non-alcoholic options.

Global Beer Trivia 🌍

• Speaking of youth, the legal age to drink beer in Belgium is 16. However, statistics show that the average starting age for a Belgian to have their first taste of beer is 14.9 years old. We start them young, but they seem to grow out of it faster!

• If you are wondering who the undisputed global champions of beer drinking are, it is not us, and it is not the Germans. It is Czechia. The Czechs will effortlessly drink everyone under the table when it comes to per capita volume.

• And here is a fantastic piece of trivia for your next pub quiz: Do you know the most sold beer in the world? It is not Heineken, Budweiser, or Corona. It is Snow Beer. Almost no one outside of China has ever heard of it, but because it is sold almost exclusively to the massive Chinese market, it absolutely crushes the global sales charts.

My Personal "Regimen"

All these statistics got me thinking about my own drinking habits. I like to tell myself a very comforting lie: "I drink often, but not much." But if I actually map out my week, the reality is a bit more liquid. Most weeks, there are more days where I do drink than days where I don't.

• Tuesdays and Fridays: These are sacred. I go playing pool with my mates. The standard order? Two Tripel Karmeliets.

• Saturdays and Sundays: These are football days. Whether standing along the pitch or hanging at the canteen, the drink of choice is regular Jupiler (which remains the absolute, undisputed bestseller in Belgian football canteens) or, if they happen to stock it, a Blue Jupiler.

• Festivals and Parties: On festivals, I stick to regular pilsner. At standard parties, depending on what is in the fridge, I will happily grab a Jupiler, Stella, or Cristal.

The True Preference: If I have the choice, I am a Triples guy through and through. Karmeliet and Delirium Tremens are my absolute favorites.

Take tonight, for example. We are going out for dinner to celebrate my youngest son's 14th birthday. Naturally, I will be having a glass of wine or a good beer. When you add it all up—Tuesdays, Fridays, the weekend, and special occasions—I am easily drinking on 4 out of 7 days. There is always something to celebrate or a reason to have a glass. Honestly, it might be time to challenge myself to a solid 4-week dry spell.

The Generational Mindset

For my generation, drinking beer is just the absolute standard. It is how we grew up, deeply woven into our social fabric. Though, if I am being brutally honest, that is mostly just a convenient excuse we use to justify our habits.

When it comes to my own kids, we try to be realistic. The youngest is 14, so he is absolutely not allowed to drink yet. My oldest is turning 18 this year, so the legal gates are officially open for him. At home, we have always allowed them to have a tiny taste, trying to teach them the golden rule: drink in moderation. Most of the time, this approach works perfectly. Of course, about once a year, it goes spectacularly wrong, but that is part of growing up, right?

As for myself, I try to lead by example. The last time I was genuinely, properly drunk was almost a year ago. And the time before that? A solid eight years ago. So, while the frequency of my drinking might be a bit high, the volume per session is well under control.

The Belgian beer landscape is undeniably shifting. The supermarkets are practically begging us to buy pilsner, the youth are drinking cocktails, and I am sitting here contemplating a month without my beloved Karmeliet.

Just to make one thing clear, I don't drink when driving. I don't drive when drinking!!!!

What about you all? Have you noticed a change in your own beer consumption over the last few years? Let me know in the comments!

Cheers,
Peter