Finns think that beer goes great with food, good company and a sauna. 73 per cent of Finns are of the opinion that beer is a good accompaniment to food. Beer is almost as widely thought to be suitable for enjoyment in social situations. That said, Finns believe that there’s no place like a sauna to have a beer – that is the opinion of 95 per cent of Finns. These findings were revealed by a beverage survey the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry commissioned in autumn 2011.
The survey shows that beer is by far the most popular beverage of choice with a meal among men, followed by milk and water. Women primarily drink water, mineral water, milk and wine with food.
“The most important factor behind purchase decisions is the taste of the product. The other major factors include positive experiences, affordable price and how well-known the product is,” says Project Manager Outi Jalonen, Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry.
Beer is not recommended in restaurants
During the past half year, restaurants had suggested beer as a meal beverage to only 14 per cent of the respondents. According to the respondents, waiters were largely neutral or positive about serving beer as a meal accompaniment. However, waiters mainly recommend wine rather than beer.
“Today, the range of beers available in Finland is wide and diverse. There’s a suitable beer for every type of food. As a light alcoholic beverage, beer is the responsible choice for a meal – the taste of alcohol-free beer also goes great with food,” says Jalonen.
In autumn 2011, the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry surveyed the image of beer, cider and long drinks among consumers as well as their consumption habits. The survey was conducted by Innolink Research Oy.
It was carried out as a panel survey. The participants were 1263 Finns aged 20–74. The respondents are representative of the Finnish population structure in terms of geography, age groups and gender alike. The total margin of error is ±2.8 per cent.
Additional information:
Project Manager Outi Jalonen, tel. +358 (0)9 148 871 (ETL exchange), GSM +358 (0)50 370 8677
Managing Director Elina Ussa, tel. +358 (0)9 148 871 (ETL exchange), GSM +358 (0)45 269 7711
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The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry promotes the interests of producers of beer, cider, long drinks, soft drinks and mineral waters in Finland. Its members are Oy Hartwall Ab, Nokian Panimo Oy, Olvi Oyj and Oy Sinebrychoff Ab. The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry operates in connection with the Finnish Food and Drink Industries Federation and represents Finland’s fourth largest industry in the food and drink branch in terms of the value of production.