The New Age of Beer: A Journey Through Europe’s Changing Drinking Landscape

A journeyer and his companions entered a tavern named “Eierschale” to savor their getaway. The crew was on the fourth leg of their European ale expedition, but things weren’t unfolding as anticipated.

The Warsteiner brew appeared and tasted dissimilar. The journeyer anticipated seeing the customary white froth atop the beer glass, but the foam consumed two-thirds of the vessel. He used to relish the creamy, chilled blend of hops and barley, the dry aftertaste, even the white mustache he’d acquire from the initial sip. But on this journey, he had to inhale the foam before the liquid could touch his taste receptors.

“A cut of beer like in Munich – but at double the price,” the barkeep stated with an uncomfortable grin. The journeyer was uncertain about the meaning, so he turned to depart the tavern, a voice trailing behind him, “Half a glass of beer, double the cost. Like a half-filled glass, you know… we need to remain hopeful now… I’m from East Berlin, you know!”

The journeyer felt more defrauded than entertained and returned to the table with his glass.

It was clear they felt remorseful, but a glass costing nearly €15, half of which was empty space, warranted an apology. They were in competition with the street vendors at the Charlottenburg checkpoint, selling their Berlin air containers.

Before his departure, he learned that Germany’s new alcohol rules were significant. In fact, these regulations were important throughout Europe, which brought to mind those peculiar pandemic years. Now, gazing at his glass of sparkling wine, contemplating how the bubbles remained cohesive and their individual value, this individual felt sympathetic towards the bar staff.

Beneath his glass, he discovered a beer mat advertisement printed in four languages, likely funded by the new regulators, all displaying strict warnings about the perils of unlicensed establishments. However, this clearly didn’t prevent some clandestine bars from emerging across the city. One, ironically named “Reinheitsgebot” (after the 1516 beer purity law that is no longer in effect), was rumored to be the best place to visit. Offering 200 different beers, no Schnitts, and prices almost 50% lower than elsewhere, it’s easy to understand why.

Surprisingly, despite the scare tactics and the obvious threat to their own business, even the bar staff recommended the establishment. The manager of Eierschale couldn’t disagree either.

“They serve beer in old 1-liter Maß glasses,” he stated with a disheartened tone. “My Tuesday two-for-one deal is prohibited, and I’m unable to sponsor the local football team.”

Whispers circulated that Oktoberfest could be called off, with brewing companies threatening to withdraw their participation.

Their initial stop in Greece presented a challenge in locating a clandestine drinking establishment due to the government’s establishment of a new hotline, offering incentives to residents for reporting unauthorized venues. However, where there’s a desire, there’s a solution: the mandated 10-minute breaks between rounds enforced by proprietors led to a strong willingness among individuals to comply. Consequently, private gatherings, home brewing, and drinking clubs experienced a surge in popularity across the nation.

The bar they successfully infiltrated displayed a scrawled quip on its entrance: “Caution! Drinking intervals must not surpass 30 seconds. Entry prohibited for those exceeding 99 years of age.” This was likely the handiwork of their host, who greeted them at the door adorned in a Peppa Pig costume. Observing no other individuals in fancy attire, the person refrained from inquiring whether this was a statement or merely an homage to their cherished childhood program. Nevertheless, muddy puddles were absent in this sweltering climate.

In Norway, the individual and their companions encountered frustration due to the stringent entry regulations and the rule mandating consumption of beverages while seated – mirroring their domestic experience. As they contemplated curtailing their journey, a recommendation for the renowned Central Bar at Oslo Central Station emerged, where they ultimately spent the remainder of their time.

Since it wasn’t classified as a bar, Central Bar was permitted to serve inexpensive beer and maintained a relaxed approach towards affordability checks and identification verification.

This appeared to clash with the official organization, but the fellow didn’t protest. “I’m certain they won’t notice the beer mug I slipped into my coat as a memento,” he mused.

Their Belgian excursion didn’t begin seamlessly, as food and beverages couldn’t be served in the same location for some unknown reason. Nevertheless, things quickly improved once they obtained the “JustSayWhere” application.

The application, a top performer in the digital store, was attempting to expand beyond national boundaries. Apple was challenging the directive to prohibit the application, asserting that Android downloads would dominate.

Event coordinators on the application frequently requested advance payments, and numerous partygoers were defrauded. But the evaluation system began to function, and authentic events were ascending to the top of the rankings. Cryptocurrency at the entrance was another prevailing trend, while frequent venue alterations bestowed these gatherings with a cult-like status and kept them ahead of the authorities. The fellow’s partying days were far from over!

Beertrip.com, launched just a few weeks prior, categorized beers, locations, and nations based on cost, quality, accessibility, and availability. Regrettably, the fellow had already reserved the journey, but he consented to modify a few stops on the trip with his companions in the future. Travel choices based on local drinking regulations were now a prevailing trend – and those alcohol cruises did sound appealing.

It was unavoidable, their pub conversations usually centered on European regulations and beer costs, fueled by numerous heated debates. “Everyone’s a specialist now, misinformation is widespread,” he commented. It was a stark contrast to the original purpose of the beer tour, yet another sign of these unusual pandemic times. Some of his companions grumbled throughout the journey, while others reveled in the challenge of finding hidden bars.

However, witnessing those two disheveled, unconscious partygoers at a private gathering a few days earlier had brought the seriousness of the situation into focus. They had also observed a few scuffles. Without any security present, things could easily spiral out of control. One of his friends found it all quite entertaining and seized every chance to make anti-establishment remarks, but this guy didn’t; with a family history of alcohol dependence, he knew addiction was a personal matter.

Back home, he heard some troubling statistics about alcohol issues on the news. An industry representative raised some valid points about the way the data was collected, but then released their own figures that didn’t quite match their argument.

The days of “light beer is healthy” and Australians not caring about XXXX were long gone; these days, drinking wasn’t trendy anymore, he thought. Even a brewery’s so-called “Chief Mischief Officer” had stepped down.

The guy couldn’t help but feel that if the goal was to reduce drinking, many of these regulations were only making the problem worse.

The tale of lugging a stomach pump to a gathering is a tad overblown, but the picture of two partygoers unconscious in the corner is etched in memory.

“Consider those kiosk drinkers in Belarus who perish from the cold at bus stops,” his companion remarked. He wasn’t certain about that, online searches revealed some alarming alcohol death statistics, though the causes weren’t entirely clear.

“We could incorporate a feature into the app: ‘Swing Don’t Quit,’ it would be called. Haha! Jägerbombs only served at entry and departure,” his radical pal exclaimed. “Ah, but only accept Bitcoin. Okay, next is…”

He bit his lip, the notion of another Jägerbomb made him feel uneasy – but you can’t voice that on a beer tour.

Some regulations seemed reasonable, like denying beverages to those who were already unconscious, but others were counterproductive. He contemplated, were regulators bored? Did they believe their role was to constantly create new regulations? Did they ever repeal any rules – or would that cause them to lose the Most Stringent Regulator Award?

Everything here was prohibited unless explicitly permitted, and the Greek “neighborhood store” policy was a terrible development. He acknowledged his friend’s critique, echoing his own sentiments: “Now everyone’s an expert,” he sighed, gazing again at the froth. “Why can’t we simply play together like these bubbles?”

Kevin Dale is the co-founder of Egamingmonitor.

He previously held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Gameaccount (now known as GAN plc), and served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Eurobet, Sportingbet, and Betfair.

Egamingmonitor.com, a consulting firm specializing in the gambling sector, possesses exclusive data encompassing 40,000 games distributed across 2,000 operator websites and 1,300 suppliers.

Visual: Munich Hofbräuhaus

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