Have you ever wondered how much the beer scene has changed in recent years? Beyond the great brands we all know, an artisanal and authentic movement has been growing silently but with firm steps throughout the peninsula. The Spanish Association of Independent Artisan Brewers gives us a detailed look at this phenomenon, which not only surprises with its potential, but by how it redraws the economic and social map of the sector.
The growth that surprised even before the sanitary storm
From 2015 to 2019, the production of handmade beer in Spain almost doubled, touching an increase close to 80%. Of some modest 12.4 million liters in 2015, the sector reached 22.4 million in a few years. At that time, beer made of passion and creativity seemed unstoppable, fed by a growing interest in more authentic and higher quality products.
But the pandemic came as a jug of cold water, causing a 22% drop in production for 2020, reducing production to 17.4 million liters and stopping the impulse that seemed unstoppable.
How big is the trace of artisanal beer in the Spanish market?
Although it still represents a small one in total, craft beer is already a small but significant portion of the market, with 0.5% of the global beer production in Spain. For an attentive observer, that percentage may seem ridiculous, but Javier Donate, president of the association, sees it as the starting point of something much bigger.
Why this remarkable difference between the production quota (0.5%) and the sales fee (1.1%)? The answer is in prices: artisan beers usually become premium products, with an added value that is reflected in higher prices per liter, promoting that difference in turnover.
The work behind the microcervecerías
Not everything is numbers and percentages: there are people of flesh and blood behind each artisanal bottle. In total, some 1,342 people find their source of income in these small factories distributed throughout the country, although the pandemic affected that figure in 18%. Most of the positions are occupied by men (79%), leaving a reserved space for women (21%).
A fact that invites you to reflect: for each job in a large beer industry, microcervery stores generate almost 28 jobs in total. That is, that small scale not only diversifies the market, but is also a powerful local employment engine.
Innovation and roots in rural environments
The presence of these artisan breweries on the Spanish map reveals another story: that of a deeply rooted sector in the interior of the country. 87% of the factories are in areas outside the capitals, many in small villages where the presence of these factories works as an economic and social revulsive.
This phenomenon not only helps sustain locations that fight depopulation, but also transform these environments into local innovation and culture reference points. The small scale of these factories favors a more sustainable development and rural tourism with artisanal flavor.
A future look: challenges and opportunities
The recent report, presented at a virtual assembly, is not only an radiography of the current moment, but also a map of what can come. Internationalization, for example, arises as a clear line of growth, with many of these micro -cancerías exploring new markets beyond our borders.
For those who look forward, the history of artisanal beer in Spain is a persistence and innovation, where each small producer contributes to a mosaic of flavors, cultures and opportunities. The question now is not only how much it will grow, but how it will be consolidated as a pillar of the economic and social fabric.
