The newly founded group, ‘Independent Brewers of Europe’ (IBE), sees itself as a Europewide interest group of independent breweries. IBE will campaign against injustices in the beer market. It aims to defend the diversity of craft-brewed beer specialties and ensure that they have sufficient market presence so that beer lovers can continue to enjoy unhindered access to genuine, regional beers in the future.
The initiative for this strong, new presence of ‘Independent Brewers of Europe’ originated from the ‘Independent Breweries of Austria’, who has been passionately and vehemently advocating to preserve Austrian beer culture since its members joined forces almost three years ago. This is an urgent matter, because in Austria alone, a single brewing group has built up an astonishing amount of power, controlling around two-thirds of the entire market.
‘Independent Brewers of Europe’ consists of national associations of independent breweries. Associations from Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and United Kingdom (UK) have been involved from the outset. Together, they want to join forces and form a counterweight against the ever-increasing advance of beer multinationals in Europe. “We want to cooperate across borders,” says Hubert Stöhr, the Chair of Independent Breweries of Austria, describing the idea behind the founding of the group: “We have a major goal in common. We want to protect indigenous beer culture in all its diversity and facilitate its further development.”
There is a lot at stake. Europe has a rich beer culture developed over centuries. This, combined with the more recent craft beer movement, has resulted in a diverse array of regional brewing traditions from Ireland and Poland to Norway and Spain, which are part of Europe's common cultural heritage. But this heritage is now in danger, as the market is increasingly dominated by a few large international breweries. These global corporations consistently concentrate their production towards mass market tastes. Anyone who brews and sells such large volumes of beer cannot focus on specialties. As market concentration increases, there is a corresponding decrease in diversity, and a merciless price war is raging in most European countries.
The ‘Independent Brewers of Europe’ want to counteract this downward spiral. They are campaigning for greater diversity and freedom of choice. They want to support each other and ensure better visibility for independent brewers. The aim is not to fight against the global players, but to compete with them in a sporting and fair way so that consumers have the opportunity to choose from more tasty products on the market.
The following associations gave the starting signal (in January 2024):
- Germany: Private Brauereien
- Finland: Pienpanimoliitto
- France: Syndicat National des Brasseries Indépendantes (SNBi)
- United Kingdom: Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA)
- Italy: Unionbirrai
- Netherlands: craftbrouwers.nl
- Austria: Unabhängige Privatbrauereien Österreichs
- Poland: Polish Craft Brewers Association (PSBR)
- Switzerland: Die freien Schweizer Brauereien
- Czech Republic: Czech and Moravian Microbreweries Association
The group is committed to growing, with talks already underway with other countries in Europe. Independent brewing organisations that are concerned about preserving regional beer culture are invited to get in touch. Contact: office@independent-brewers.com
European brewing culture in all its diversity can only be preserved if consumers are on board. That is why the members of the ‘Independent Brewers of Europe’ want to create a new awareness of origin and regional traditions. “Our member companies respect the established traditions of their region. They place a big focus on sourcing good raw materials and brew with care,” says Stöhr. “If you pay attention, you can taste this difference,” explains Jos Oostendorp from the Craft association of independent Dutch brewers. And Archibald Tropres from SNBi in France adds: “We know that we can convince consumers of the benefits of genuine, authentic brewing culture. We just need to raise our voice more clearly.” Stefan Stang from the German association Private Breweries adds: “The value of regional breweries is not measured by the number of hectolitres produced, but by their commitment to communities, associations and voluntary work. This dedication knows no boundaries, which is why we look forward to working with like-minded, independent breweries in Europe!”
