:EUROSTAT: Beer production increases to 34.7 billion litres

In 2024, EU countries produced 32.7 billion (bn) litres of beer containing more than 0.5% alcohol and 2 bn litres of beer with less than 0.5% alcohol or with no alcohol content at all, totalling 34.7 bn litres.

Compared with 2023, the production of beer with more than 0.5% alcohol in the EU increased slightly by 0.6% (+0.2 bn litres), while the production of beer with less than 0.5% alcohol rose by 11.1% (+0.2 bn litres).

The list of top EU producers remains unchanged in 2024. Germany continued to lead as the top producer of beer with more than 0.5% alcohol, with 7.2 bn litres (22.2% of the total EU production), the same as in 2023. Germany was followed at a distance by Spain, with 4.0 bn litres (12.3% of the total EU production) and Poland with 3.4 bn litres (10.6%). The Netherlands, with 2.2 bn litres (6.8%) and Belgium, with 2.1 bn litres (6.3%), also featured in the top 5 producers.

The Netherlands top exporter and France top importer

Maintaining its record as the top exporter of beer, the Netherlands led among EU countries with a total (intra- and extra-EU) of 1.5 bn litres of beer containing alcohol exported in 2024. Compared with 2023, however, this country saw a decrease of 12% (-0.2 bn litres) in beer exports.

The Netherlands was followed by Germany and Belgium (both exporting 1.4 bn litres), Czechia (0.6 bn litres) and Ireland (0.5 bn litres) as the main exporters in 2024.

For imports, France continued to be the largest importer of beer containing alcohol in 2024, with 0.8 bn litres. The other big importers were Italy with more than 0.7 bn litres, followed by Spain and Germany each with almost 0.6 bn litres, and the Netherlands with almost 0.5 bn litres.

International Beer Day, celebrated each year on the first Friday of August.

EU ice cream production sees uptick of 2% in 2024

In 2024, the EU produced 3.3 billion litres of ice cream, representing a 2% increase from 2023 (3.2 billion litres).

Germany remained the top producer of ice cream in the EU, producing 607 million litres in 2024. France (501 million litres) and Italy (492 million litres) followed at the top. The list of main producers also included Spain (378 million litres) and Poland (298 million litres).

Compared with 2023, among these 5 EU countries, only Poland registered a surge in production, at +29%. France recorded a decline of 12%, Italy 7%, Spain 6% and Germany saw a slight decrease of 1%. However, the production of ice cream increased in more EU countries than it decreased, resulting in an overall rise in production. Other significant increases were registered in Belgium (+35%), Bulgaria (+19%), and Czechia (+15%).

France remains the main exporter of ice cream in the EU

In 2024, EU countries exported 265.3 million kg of ice cream to non-EU countries and imported 69.3 million kg. The quantity of exports increased only by 1% compared with 2023 (+2.8 million kg), while extra-EU imports rose significantly by 24% (+13.6 million kg).

As in previous years, France was the largest ice cream exporter in the EU, exporting 55.9 million kg of ice cream in 2024 to non-EU countries. This represented a fifth of the total extra-EU ice cream exports (21%). France was followed by Italy (42.6 million kg of ice cream; 16% of EU ice cream exports), the Netherlands (31.9 million kg; 12%), Germany (28.2 million kg; 11%), and Belgium (27 million kg; 10%).

European wine may be left out of trade deal with U.S., lobby group says

The Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) has learned with concern that wine and aromatized wines may be left out of the EU trade offer currently being negotiated in the context of a broader agreement with the U.S. administration.

“We are deeply concerned about the potential exclusion of wine from the list of sensitive goods included in the deal package.” said Marzia Varvaglione, President of CEEV. “The European wine sector is already navigating an extremely difficult period and the definitive establishment of an ad valorem tariff would only amplify this crisis and hurt thousands of wineries and grape growers across the EU. We therefore call on the European Commission to ensure that wine and aromatized wine products remain an integral part of the negotiation package with the U.S. administration.”

The United States of America remains the largest export destination for EU wines, representing 27% of EU wine exports in value and 21% in volume. The US wine market is fundamental for the economic sustainability of the EU wine sector and the rural communities it sustains.

The damage to EU wine oversees sales of the 10% US import duty in place since April is estimated to be around 12%. If the US duty was set in the range of [17-20]%, and considering the current currency rate – USD lost 15% compared to EUR – the estimate damage would reach 30%.

The assessment of EU-U.S. wine trade relations must go beyond export statistics. The assessment of the US economic surplus that the US holds in the sale of EU wine shall also be part of the equation.

“European wine exports do not harm the U.S. economy—on the contrary, they support it,” said Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, Secretary General of CEEV. “Because of the three-tier system for alcohol distribution in the US – separation of producer, distributor and retailer, it is estimated that for every $1.00 generated by European wine exports to the U.S., American distribution and hospitality sectors earn $4.50. The € 4,88 billion EU wine exported to the US in 2024 would have generated roughly $22 billion revenue for US companies across the tree-tier.” he added.

Wine is a win-win relationship that must be protected, not undermined. Wine should not be viewed as a weak point in the negotiations, but rather as a strategic and mutually beneficial asset.

The EU and U.S. wine sectors have consistently opposed the imposition of tariffs on wine trade. On both sides of the Atlantic, we strongly support free and fair trade and open markets for wine between the EU and the U.S.

Americans most hungry for Swedish cinnamon rolls

85 percent of the Americans who are interested in Sweden are curious about Swedish coffee culture “Swedish Fika”, which includes cinnamon rolls, cookies, and coffee treats.

This is shown by a survey conducted by Visit Sweden*, among people abroad who are interested in Sweden as a travel destination. After Americans, travelers from neighboring countries Norway and Finland are the most interested in the exotic coffee culture, but the interest from Germans and French is not far behind.

Visit Sweden recognizes that the Swedish fika tradition is popular among international travelers and often highlights princess and strawberry cake, cinnamon rolls, and cookies as something you must not miss during a visit to Sweden, not least during “cinnamon bun day”, taking place today on October 4.

Apparently, the average Swede, eats cakes and pastry equivalent to 316 cinnamon rolls per year!
In Sweden, ‘fika‘ is an essential part of everyday life. In fact, it’s so sacred that two coffee breaks per day are an unwritten rule in many Swedish workplaces. And, while newcomers to Sweden are often sceptical about fika at first, many end up admitting that some of the best ideas are hatched on fika breaks.

The Birth of the Cinnamon Roll Day
Nothing says fika more than a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll. The cinnamon roll or bun (or ‘kanelbulle’ in Swedish) was first created after the First World War, but, as the ingredients (flour, sugar, egg, butter, cinnamon and cardamom) were expensive and hard to find, it did not become popular until the 1950s. These days, it’s the ultimate symbol of Swedish home cooking and, as any Swede will tell you, the smell of newly baked cinnamon buns is the best in the world.

The cinnamon bun is so popular that, in 1999, a collective of Swedish baking ingredient producers known as Sweden’s Home Baking Council announced that October 4th would henceforth be Cinnamon Roll Day (‘Kanelbullens dag’).

The Swedish fika tradition and how to fika like a Swede.

1 October is International Coffee Day

Celebrate coffee on 1st October

1 October is International Coffee Day. Celebrate with the 77 Member States of the ICO and dozens of coffee associations from around the world. Visit www.internationalcoffeeday.org to find events near you.

International Coffee Day is a celebration of the coffee sector’s diversity, quality and passion. It is an opportunity for coffee lovers to share their love of the beverage and support the millions of farmers whose livelihoods depend on the aromatic crop.

Background

Many countries around the world celebrate their own national coffee days at various dates throughout the year. In March 2014, the Member States of the ICO agreed to organise International Coffee Day on 1 October to create a single day of celebration for coffee lovers around the world.

How will you celebrate the first International Coffee Day? Find an event near you or submit details about an event or campaign you are planning on the official website.

EU ice cream production grew by 5% in 2022

In 2022, the EU produced 3.2 billion litres of ice cream, marking a 5% increase from the previous year.

Among the EU countries, Germany was the main producer of ice cream in 2022, producing 620 million litres of ice cream, followed by France (591 million litres) and Italy (571 million litres).

As well as being the largest ice cream producer in 2022, Germany produced on average the cheapest ice cream at €1.5 per litre. France reported an average price of €1.9 per litre of ice cream, while Italy reported an average price of €2.3 per litre of ice cream.

The most expensive ice cream was produced in Austria, with an average price of €7.0 per litre of ice cream, followed by Denmark (€4.4 per litre), and Finland (€2.8 per litre).

France accounted for a fifth of the total extra-EU ice cream exports

In 2022, the EU countries exported 250 million kilograms (kg) of ice cream to non-EU countries, worth a total of €930 million. On the other hand, imports of ice cream from non-EU countries amounted to 61 million kg, valued at €203 million. The quantity of extra-EU ice cream imports decreased by 14% in 2022, compared with 2021, while exports dropped by only 2%.

France exported 53 million kg of ice cream in 2022, accounting for 21% of extra-EU ice cream exports. This made it the largest ice cream exporter out of all EU countries, ahead of the Netherlands (42 million kg of ice cream; 17% of total extra-EU exports), Italy (31 million kilograms; 13%), Germany (28 million kilograms; 11%) and Belgium (23 million kilograms; 9%).

Methodological notes

Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden: 2022 data on production not available.
Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta: exempt from providing data on production due to their economic sizes.

How expensive is your cup of coffee?

Kicking off the day with a mug of hot coffee is a daily routine for many. However, recent price rises might make this morning staple almost a luxury. Data for August 2022 show that the price of coffee in the EU was on average 16.9% higher than in August 2021, while in August 2021, the price of coffee was on average 0.5% higher than in August 2020. Since October 2021, annual inflation has been on the rise.

For consumers that drink their coffee with milk and/or sugar, this morning ritual might be even more expensive since the prices of those items increased even more over the last year. The price of fresh whole milk increased on average 24.3% between August 2021 and August 2022, while that for fresh low-fat milk increased by 22.2% in the same period.

In August 2022, annual inflation for sugar was at +33.4%, from +0.8% in August 2021.

Sugar up 109.2% for Poland in August 2022

Data show that all 4 items registered an increase in prices in all EU Member States, except for Malta, which reported no change in the price of fresh low-fat milk.

When examining the highest increases in annual inflation for each product, Lithuania and Estonia feature in three of the four products: coffee and fresh low-fat milk for both, fresh whole milk (+45.8%) for Lithuania and sugar (+81.2%) for Estonia.

The largest annual inflation in August 2022 was reported for sugar, with notable rises in Poland, up 109.2%, followed by Estonia (+81.2%), Latvia (+58.3%), Bulgaria (+44.9%) and Cyprus (+43.2%).
When it comes to coffee, Finland registered the highest annual inflation at +43.6% in August 2022, followed by Lithuania (+39.9%), Sweden (+36.7%), Estonia (+36.4%) and Hungary (+34.3%).

Fans of milk in Hungary, Lithuania and Croatia saw substantial rises in prices in both whole fat milk and low fat. The highest annual increases in prices for whole fat milk among the EU Member States in August 2022 were logged in Hungary (+51.7%), Lithuania (+46.8%), Croatia (+43.5%), Czechia (+43.3%) and Latvia (+40.1%), and for low-fat milk in Lithuania (+50.2%), Croatia (+41.2%), Estonia (+38.9%), Germany (+30.6%) and Hungary (+30.1%).

EUROSTAT: Where does your ice cream come from?

In 2021, the EU produced over 3.1 billion litres of ice cream, a 4% increase from the previous year.

Over the same period, EU Member States exported 254 million kilograms of ice cream to non-EU countries, worth a total of €850 million. On the other hand, imports of ice cream from non-EU countries amounted to 71 million kilograms, worth a total of €192 million. While the quantity of extra-EU ice cream imports decreased (-11%) compared with 2020, exports increased by 9%.

Germany was the EU’s main producer of ice cream

Among the EU Member States, Germany was the main producer of ice cream in 2021, producing 614 million litres of ice cream. Germany was followed by France (459 million litres; based on production on own account) and Italy (381 million litres).

As well as being the largest ice cream producer in 2021, Germany produced on average the cheapest ice cream at €1.4 per litre. France reported an average price of €2.0 per litre of ice cream, while Italy reported an average price of €2.1 per litre of ice cream.

Top ice cream exporter: France

France exported 57 million kilograms of ice cream in 2021, accounting for 22% of extra-EU ice cream exports. This made it the largest ice cream exporter out of all EU Member States, ahead of the Netherlands (which exported 38 million kilograms of ice cream, or 15% of total extra-EU exports), Italy (33 million kilograms, or 13%), Germany (24 million kilograms, or 10%) and Belgium (23 million kilograms, or 9%).

notes:

France: 2021 data on production under sub-contracted operations not available due to confidentiality. However, France ranks as the second largest producer of ice cream given the production on own account. Starting this year, there are two new production variables (sub-contracted operations production and production on own account summing up into sold production), as requested by the EBS Regulation.
Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden: data not available due to confidentiality.
Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta: exempt from providing data on production due to their economic sizes.

10 Classic movies that featured Champagne

When it comes to fizz in the movies it can usually be assured of being Champagne. When those special on screen moments occur and a glass of bubbly or two is required then no less than a recognised Champagne label will do.

Over the years there have been many guests and sponsored appearances for Champagne labels in classic movies that sometimes pass us by without notice though some for sure will be highly famous for their roles. Let us take a look at 10 classic movies that featured Champagne:

Sons of the Desert – 1931: Starring the much loved comedy duo of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy back in the classic black and movie days of the Hal Roach era, we see an early appearance from a Champagne label. As Stan and Ollie sit at the table during a live cabaret (one that their wives did not know about) and Charley Chase orders a bottle of ‘bubble water’ it is Piper-Heidsieck that they are drinking.
James Bond series – 1962 to present day: What list would be complete without a mention of James Bond. From the first movie of Dr No in 1962 and a selection of fine James bonds from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, it has been a mixture of vodka Martinis and Champagne as the drinks primarily featured. The original Champagne was Taittinger and since then both Dom Perignon and Bollinger have featured.
Philadelphia – 1993: Tom Hanks and Denzil Washington star in this classic movie about a man who had aids. Emotional and meaningful throughout, near the end of the film Dom Perignon can be seen as a gift to Tom from Denzil whilst visiting him in hospital.
Jurassic Park – 1993: During a discussion between Sam Neill and Richard Attenborough we can see a bottle of Moet & Chandon in Richard’s hand.
Carry on Loving – 1970: Yes even these comedy classics made on the tightest of budgets still see Champagne appearing here and there. In this movie, we have a finale that sees a food throwing frenzy and Sid James takes a bottle of Moet & Chandon and pours it over Hattie Jacques head.
Once Upon a Crime – 1992: A story based on a trip to Monte Carlo, Monaco, where Marilyn (Cybill Shepherd) and her husband, Neil (James Belushi) take the main roles along with a supporting cast of John Candy, George Hamilton and Giancarlo Giannini. Champagne Piper-Heidsieck can be seen on numerous occasions.
About Last Night… – 1986: A romantic setting and a dinner for two sees Demi Moore and Rob Lowe enjoy Champagne Perrier-Jouët at the table together.
Moonstruck – 1987: The American romantic comedy film starring Cher and Nicolas Cage sees the appearance of Champagne G. H. Mumm on a couple of occasions being poured and enjoyed.
Pretty Woman – 1990: Starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts this is the Cinderella style movie that captivated millions and remains still an iconic blockbuster. An outside scene sees Champagne Moet & Chandon being poured for guests.
The Godfather: Part 3 – 1990: The ultimate mafia boss Don Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) grabs two slices of cake in one scene and six bottles of Champagne Veuve Clicquot can be seen in the background just waiting to be poured and enjoyed!

BEER SALES IN BRITISH PUBS HAVE FALLEN BY 35 MILLION PINTS

Sales of beer in Britain’s pubs suffered a worrying, 3.6 per cent drop in the third quarter, the worst Q3 performance for five years. The news has prompted urgent calls for a halt to yet more beer tax rises in the Budget on 22nd November. The figures are released today in the Quarterly ‘Beer Barometer’, from the British Beer & Pub Association.

The 3.6 per cent drop in on-trade sales from July to September, represents an astonishing 35 million fewer pints sold in Britain’s pubs, bars and restaurants. when compared with the same period in 2016. Beer sales have been hit by a substantial, 3.9 per cent tax rise in the March Budget, yet the Chancellor plans yet another increase in his second Budget, in November.

Coupled with pressure from sky-high business rates, the move would see many more pubs closing, says Brigid Simmonds Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, who is instead calling for a one penny cut in duty in the Budget:

Brigid Simmonds comments:

“When the Government was cutting or freezing beer duty from 2013-15, sales of British beer stabilised, after years of steep decline. With sales down this quarter, following the Budget tax hike, urgent action from the Chancellor is needed.

“Beer has had a 39 per cent tax rise in the past decade. With tax rates 14 times higher than in Germany, these levels are unsustainable.

“We need fair taxes for British beer, so that brewers and pub operators can invest in thriving pubs, and take advantage of new opportunities to export more beer around the world as we leave the EU.”