According to data released by the Austrian Union of Breweries, beer output in Austria rose by 1.5% in 2002 to 8.3m hectolitres.
Per capita beer consumption rose from 107 litres in 2001 to 109 litres in 2002, the chairman of the union, Johann Sulzberger, said. Production at the country’s leading brewer, Brau-Beteiligungs-AG (BBAG), stood at 4.8m hls in 2002, representing 57% of the country’s total output.
The Union has said that introduction of road-tolling in Austria, scheduled for 2004, would increase beer production costs by 20% to 25%.
