Czech beer consumption falls

Staropramen, the Czech Republic-based brewer, has reported its first drop in annual beer volume sales for six years.

Staropramen, with a 15% share of the Czech beer market, sold 3.02m hectolitres of beer in 2009, down 7% on on 2008.

Export volumes fell by 11% for the year, said the group, which was one of several breweries in Eastern Europe sold by Anheuser-Busch InBev to CVC Capital Partners late last year.

“The 2009 results were caused by global economic crisis which led to lower demand,” said Staropramen general director Zbynek Kovár.

The weakest sales were shown by the company’s least expensive brands, Braník and Mestan, while the flagship Staropramen lager performed more strongly.

Beer consumption in the Czech Republic, according to initial estimates, fell last year by at least 5%.