China makes 22pc of world's beer: study

Beer boom: A new study says China produces nearly a quarter of the world's beer. (Reuters: Lion Nathan) China, already the world's top beer-producing country, has boosted its market dominance, according to a German study released overnight. The world's most populous country produced 22 per cent of the global beer supply last year, versus 20.6 per cent the year before, the study commissioned by German hop trader Joh Barth and Sohn showed. It brewed nearly 394 million frothy hectolitres - more than 13 billion Australian schooners - marking an 11.8 per cent jump in output. Global beer production hit 1.8 billion hectolitres, 5.2 per cent higher than last year, according to the study presented in the southern city of Munich, home to Germany's annual Oktoberfest beer festival. Germany, which has the highest per capita beer... [read full story]