Beer is the world's most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, and the third-most popular drink overall, after water and tea. Today, the brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries.Overall, the top ten beers make up around 23 per cent of all the beer sold in the world. There are only four beers in the top ten that aren't from Chinese or Brazilian breweries. But watery, low alcohol-content beer may be losing favour with Chinese consumers. In 2014, domestic beer production output in China fell by 1%, the first drop in ten consecutive years of growth.
Meanwhile, beer imports from Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and other markets are growing, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Craft beer stores and bars have also been popping up around cities like Beijing and Shanghai, giving US industry observers hope that a window of opportunity, similar to one that opened for imported wine a decade ago, has opened for beer as well.
Here is the full list of the ten best-selling beers in the world, as a percentage of the global market share, and in a selection of other countries
Best Selling Beers in the World:
1/ SNOW - China - 5.4% of the global market share
Snow beer (literally Snowflake beer) is a lager beer from China. It is brewed by CR Snow, a joint venture between SABMiller and China Resources Enterprises. It is the best selling beer brand in the world, with annual sales of 61 million hectoliters, despite largely being sold only in China. When Snow was first released in 1993 it was produced by three breweries.
As of 2014, CRSB is the largest brewing company in China with over 90 breweries across the country, brewing more than 100 million hectolitres of Snow every year. SABMiller likes to brag that in 2012 it sold enough Snow beer to fill 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day for a year.
2/ TSINGTAO - China - 2.8% of the global market share
Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd. is China's second largest brewery. It was founded in 1903 by German settlers and now claims about 15% of domestic market share. The beer is produced in Qingdao in Shandong province. The beer market in China was very underdeveloped until into the 1980's and the brewery was forced to concentrate on overseas markets. Tsingtao Beer was introduced to the United States in 1972, and soon became the top-selling Chinese beer in the U.S. market. It has maintained this leadership within the United States ever since.
The company was privatized in the early 1990's and in 1993 merged with three other breweries in Qingdao and was finally renamed Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited. The Tsingtao brand is sold in 62 countries and regions around the world, and accounts for more than 50% of China’s beer exports.
3/ BUD LIGHT - USA - 2.5% of the global market share
Bud Light is part of the Anheuser-Busch brewing company and is the best selling beer in America. Bud Light was introduced in addition to the regular Budweiser and is a light beer. Other versions of Bud Light are Bud Light Premium, launched in 20112, which is a little sweeter and higher in alcohol, and Bud Light Lime, introduced in 2008, which is a light beer with lime and the same alcohol content as Bud Light.
4/ BUDWEISER - USA - 2.3% of the global market share
Budweiser is an American pale lager produced by Anheuser–Busch InBev.
Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, it has grown to become one of the highest selling beers in the United States, and is available in over 80 markets worldwide. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt and is produced in various breweries around the world. Budweiser is a filtered beer available in draught and packaged forms.
Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 49.2% as of 2010. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and nearly 20 in other countries. Brands include Budweiser, Busch, Michelob, Bud Light, and Natural Light.
5/ SKOL - Brazil - 2.2% of the global market share
Skol is the most popular beer in Brazil. The name is related to the Scandinavian toast "Skål." It was originally produced by Caracu, which was bought by Brahma in 1980.
In 1999, Brahma merged with Antarctica and became AmBev, then InBev and later AB InBev. AB Inbev is the biggest beverage company in the world, larger than Coca-Cola in revenue. Skol beer became internationally recognized as a Brazilian beer, though not initially conceived in Brazil. Carlsberg holds the license to brew and market the beer worldwide, apart from in Africa and South America. In Asia, it is distributed in Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
In Africa, it is present in Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Madagascar and Rwanda.
6/ YANJING - China - 1.9% of the global market share
Beijing Yanjing Brewery is a brewing company founded in 1980 in Beijing, China.
Yanjing Beer was designated as the official beer served at state banquets in the Great Hall of the People in February 1995. The company produced 57.1 million hectoliters of beer in 2013, making it the 8th biggest brewery in the world and the 3rd biggest in China. The company produces a range of mainly pale lagers under the brand name Yanjing. Other brands include Liquan, Huiquan and Xuelu.
7/ HEINEKEN - Netherlands - 1.5% of global the market share
Heineken Lager Beer is a pale lager beer produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken International. Heineken is well known for its signature green bottle and red star. Since 1975, most Heineken brand beer has been brewed at the Heineken brewery in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands.
In 2011, 2.74 billion liters of Heineken brand beer was produced worldwide, while the total beer production of all breweries fully owned by the Heineken Group over all brands was 16.46 billion liters globally. Sold in more than 170 countries, Heineken is the world's most international premium beer. It has been incorporated with numerous beer brands from different countries all over the world including, Mexico, China, and Africa.
8/ HARBIN - China - 1.5% of the global market share
Harbin Brewery is a Chinese brewery founded in 1900 in Harbin, China. As China's fourth largest brewery and its oldest one, it has a leading position in Northeast China and owns the Hapi beer brand. Harbin has increased its annual beer production capacity to over 1 million tons and has become a giant in China's beer industry after its successful reform and listing on the Hong Kong stock market.
The brewery is owned by Anheuser–Busch InBev, which has helped to export Harbin beer to European and North American markets, but in comparison to Tsingtao Beer or Zhujiang Beer its share in these markets is minor.
9/ BRAHMA - Brazil - 1.5% of the global market share
Brahma is a Brazilian beer, originally made by the Companhia Cervejaria Brahma, which was founded in 1888. The brewery is currently the fifth largest in the world. The brands are now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. In 1914, Brahma produced their national Malzbier. After that the company began expanding internationally. The company bought the license for distribution of the Germania brand, which later was known as Guanabara, and was one of the earliest of the Brazilian beer brands.
In 1934, Brahma introduced the new bottled draft Brahma Chopp, and it became a Brazilian bestseller. In 1989, Jorge Paulo Lemann, Carlos Alberto Sicupira and Marcel Telles bought Companhia Cervejaria Brahma for $50 million.
10/ COORS LIGHT - USA - 1.3% of the global market share
Coors Light is light beer brewed in Golden, Colorado and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The beer has a "Cold Certified" label which turns the mountains on the label from white to blue when the beer's temperature is lowered to 4 degrees Celsius.
There were a number of trends occurring in the mid-1970s. Health was one of the most discussed topics in the American population. The baby-boomer generation was reaching their drinking age, and therefore they gave the beer drinking demographic a shift. They were concerned about their health, but they also wanted to drink beer. There was a growing interest in low-calorie beverages.
In 1975, light beers made up only 1 per cent of beer consumption in the USA, and by 1994, they accounted for 35 per cent of all domestic beer sold in the USA. For this reason the industry was shaped. In 1978 Coors introduced the popular Coors Light brand, produced by the Coors Brewing Company.
In order to expand Molson Coors brand portfolio outside of its major markets (US, UK, Canada), Molson Coors established Molson Coors International in 2008. MCI operates in three primary regions; Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Coors Light, as a signature brand of Molson Coors, was introduced in the new markets. The world's sixth-largest brewer, which also makes Molson Canadian, Carling and Blue Moon, was trying to diversify beyond its core markets.
*Source: Bloomberg
# The best selling beers in the world were calculated as a percentage of their global market share.
Best Selling Beers in a selection of other countries:
England - CarlingUSA - Bud Light
Canada - Budweiser
Australia - Victoria Bitter
New Zealand - Lion Red
Italy - Birra Moretti
Belgium - Jupiler
Ireland - Guinness
Portugal - Sagres
Spain - Cruzcampo
Germany - Oettinger
France - Kronenbourg 1664
Czech Republic - Gambrinus
Poland - Tyskie
Croatia - Ožujsko
Switzerland - Feldschlösschen
Iceland - Viking
Denmark/Nepal - Tuborg
Turkey - Efes
Greece - Mythos
Russia - Baltika
Kazakhstan - Karagandinskoye
Saudi Arabia - Moussy Classic
Cambodia - Angkor
Thailand - Chang
Indonesia - Bintang
Malaysia/Singapore - TigerSouth Korea - Cass
Sri Lanka/Maldives - Lion
India - Kingfisher
Pakistan - Murree
Algeria - Tango
Tunisia - Celtia
South Africa - Carling Black Label
Nigeria/Sierra Leone - Star
Kenya - Tusker
Nambia - Windhoek Lager
Jamaica - Red Stripe
Columbia - Poker
Peru - Cristal
Barbados - Banks
Mexico - Corona
Bahamas - Kalik
