Travel and beer are a perfect combination, so if you’re planning a post-COVID overseas beer-fest then let’s take a look at who drinks the most beer in the world so you can shortlist some great destinations!
Did you know Australia isn’t even in the top 10 beer-drinking countries?
Not yet, anyway (let’s keep trying!)
Why you should travel for a pint or two!
Us Aussies love our beer, so there are plenty of reasons to travel for a pint or two.
Here’s a few good reasons:
- Travelling is a great way to expand both your knowledge (chicks dig dudes with worldly knowledge), and your taste buds! Visiting different breweries (or even just different bars or pubs) is such a fun way to explore a new place.
- Travelling with beer in mind is an excellent way to meet new people and make new friends – after all, what better way to bond than over a shared love of beer?
- Finally, beer tastings and festivals are often held in beautiful locations, so it’s the perfect excuse to get out there and see more of the world.
On those great notes, let’s take a look at who drinks the most beer in the world by country, counting down from #10 (highly respectable beer drinkers) to #1 (the ultimate beer drinkers).
Who drinks the most beer in the world – by total gallon
#10 Spain
You have to hand it to Spain – with San Miguel as your tour guide this sunny European destination has a climate as good as Australia’s with a great coastline, great beaches, great culture, and amazing seafood to pair with your beer. It’s a bit far from Australia, so if you want to visit somewhere closer then the next country might suit you better.
Spain consumes 1,007,816 gallons of beer per year.
#9 Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the best beer-drinking countries for us Aussies to visit. Not only is it the closest destination, but also full of culture, with great local beers on offer, and you can visit on a budget!
Vietnam consumes 1,015,742 gallons of beer per year.
#8 United Kingdom
I think we all know our cousins over the pond are big beer drinkers. If you’ve visited a northern town like Newcastle or Leeds you’ll know how true this is, especially if you walk through the streets at 3am.
The UK has a long history of beer, and is the origin of many beer styles including ales, stouts, lagers, and IPAs.
The Brits consume 1,079,935 gallons of beer per year.
#7 Japan
Japan isn’t as far from Australia as you may think, and a great option for a beer-jaunt combined with rich culture and or some snowboarding. They have some great tipples on offer which you won’t find in Australia, such as the legendary saki (a style of it’s own), rice-based shōchū which can be used in beer, and last time I visited I found some refreshing wheat beers on offer (which I believe are low-calorie).
There’s nothing quite like stumbling on a cozy alleyway bar off the brightly-lit streets of Shinjuku. Trust me!
Japan consumes 1,166,584 gallons of beer per year.
#6 Germany
This one comes as no surprise. We know Germany consumes huge amounts of beer, and they’re passionate about the stuff. October is a great month to visit, as despite being a little chilly you’ll definitely feel warm and cheery at Oktoberfest!
Germany consumes 2,046,277 gallons of beer per year.
#5 Mexico
Beer and tacos.
Need I say more?
Mexico is a great place to visit. Full of life, full of passion, and copious amounts of refreshing beer to go alongside tip top spicy food.
Mexico consumes 2,189,194 gallons of beer per year.
#4 Russia
At the time of writing I wouldn’t say Russia was a great tourist destination, but they’re surprisingly big consumers of beer. And there I was thinking they all drink Vodka.
Russia consumes 2,284,032 gallons of beer per year.
#3 Brazil
When Aussies think of Brazilians it’s usually nothing to do with beer, but with such a huge population with such passion and lust for life it’s no surprise they’re the 3rd largest consumer of beer worldwide.
Brazil consumes 3,657,990 gallons of beer per year.
#2 United States
Another big country full of beer-lovers. It’s not just big brands like Budweiser either, as haunts like Portland in Maine have become havens for craft beer lovers. You could argue they take craft beer more seriously than Melbournites take coffee.
Oh, and did you know beer is the third most popular drink in the world according to the Oxford Reference, beating both coffee and wine. Take that Melbourne coffee-drinkers!
(Ssshh, I drink coffee too)
The USA consumes 6,367,867 gallons of beer per year.
#1 China
When it comes to the country who drinks the most beer in the world per gallon we expect it to be China. They also have the biggest population in the world.
We’ll look at who drinks the most beer in the world per caipta in a second, as it’s a better gauge of who drinks the most per person. It also offers a much different perspective as China doesn’t feature in the top 10 list per capita at all!
But let it be known:
China consumes a whopping 9,533,441 gallons of beer per year.
Who drinks the most beer in the world – by capita (litres per person)
#10 Spain
Yes, it’s Spain once again! The fact they’re a top 10 consumer of beer worldwide per gallon and per capita guarantees a trip to sunny Spain is a great option for a beer-discovery holiday.
Whether you take a trip to the incredible city of Barcelona, or one of the many coastal holiday destinations, you’re bound to have an amazing time drinking, sightseeing, and dining on fantastic food.
The Spanish consume 81.60 litres of beer per capita.
#9 Slovakia
Did you know 9 out of 10 Australians don’t know where Slovakia is?
Ok, I made that up, but it turns out Slovakians are the 9th biggest beer drinkers in the world.
Slovakia is a country in Eastern Europe, and you’ll find a trend on this top 10 list of Eastern European countries. Slovakian beer offers some great flavours, and you’ll find they have an emphasis on grains like rye which offer unique flavours and textures.
The city of Bratislava is a great place to visit, and a stones through from the country which you’ll find drinks the second most beer in the world below.
On my first night out drinking in Bratislava I was dumbfounded going from bar to bar full of men. Not a single woman in sight! But do not fear as this is normal – in Bratislava the men start drinking in pubs, and the women drink and catch up in wine bars. It all changes after midnight when everyone descends on the night clubs!
Slovakians consume 82.2 litres of beer per capita.
#8 Lithuania
If you’re doing the pub quiz and face the question “What is Lithuania famous for?”, you can knowledgably answer “The amount of beer they drink”.
Yet another European county, Lithuania can make an interesting destination for a beer-drinking holiday. Not many people know this, but Lithuania has some great sandy beaches on the Curonian Spit, as well as many great bars to drink in.
Lithuanians consume 83.4 litres of beer per capita.
#7 Namibia
Namibia is a curve ball as the only African country on both of these top ten lists. If I were to guess I would’ve thought South Africa, but I can blame that on my mate Kobus who’s been known to drink rivers in his time.
Namibia is know for it’s diverse wildlife, with one of the biggest Cheetah populations in the world. It turns out they’re also know for a fine quality of their beers – they have a purity law in place, and will readily inform any Aussie tourist the quality of beer will prevent any hangovers.
Beer safari anyone?
Namibians consume 83.4 litres of beer per capita.
#6 Estonia
Estonia is a wonderful place to visit although a little chilly at times being up in Northern Europe (it’s even further north than Scotland, and not too far from wintery Moscow).
As the 6th biggest drinkers of beer worldwide per capita, it’s surprising travel agents don’t make a bigger deal of it over the lush forests, sauna culture, and the historical city of Tallin.
Estonians consume 84.4 litres of beer per capita.
#5 Germany
You might note the amount of beer Germans drink per capita is a big leap up from those in the #6 to #10 spots, and that merely highlights how serious these guys are about their beer. Oktoberfest has become recognised worldwide as the biggest beer festival, and although we try and recreate it in Australia there’s nothing quite like the real thing.
The Germans are also serious about two more things (as I found on while living in Stuttgart), and that’s work and sex. Serious stuff. I’m not so keen work, but beer and sex are a great combination (just don’t assume German’s will take you seriously about the latter when you’re drunk on the former).
Germans consume 92.5 litres of beer per capita.
#4 Romania
Another Eastern European country, Romania is better known in western culture for their abundance of vampires (I believe that’s fact checked, but you should double check).
The AUD is consistently strong and will offset the cost of the long flights when you realise how cheap Romania is in comparison. Bucharest is well worth a visit, and you’ll find some really nice touristy spots along the Black Sea coast, so lot’s of beer drinking opportunities.
Romanians consume 81.60 litres of beer per capita.
#3 Poland
Yes that’s right, yet another Eastern European country. It makes you wonder why you’re still living in Australia with so much beer drinking going on on the other side of the world.
It turns out the Polish are serious lovers of beer, and for an Aussie tourist you’ll find yourself very welcome on the streets and bars of Warsaw. The country has a rich (and sometimes heartbreaking) history, with wonderful and proud people well worth sharing a beer with.
The Polish consume 81.60 litres of beer per capita.
#2 Austria
Birth place of Arnold Schwarzenegger, not overly known for beer consumption, Austrian’s drink the second most beer in the world. Being central-Europe it makes a great base for a Grand European Beer Crawl, combined with sightseeing and snowboarding.
In fact, Vienna with it’s trendy bars and black churches makes it a fantastic place to wonder around and sample beer.
Just note, in Austria you don’t pay as you drink, you pay when you leave. This is what caught me out on numerous occasions as I stumbled out a bar pitying myself how badly I lost at table football to the locals, only to have the barman yank me back in to pay.
Austria is well worth a visit, and the local beers are fantastic (and many put more hairs on your chest than you already have).
The Austrians consume 81.60 litres of beer per capita.
#1 Czech Republic
Did you know Prague castle is lit up by lights funded by The Rolling Stones? If you don’t believe me, here’s an article from 1995 by MTV.
It’s been many years, but I lived in Prague for a while, and hold the place dear to my heart to this day. It’s good to see the Staropramen brewery tour still a great option for Aussie tourists, but this city (and the Czech Republic) are a worthy destination if you can stomach the flight.
Hold on, there’s beer on the flight!
The Czech Republic drinks the most beer in the world per capita, and that’s the best reason for you to book a flight right now!
The Czechs consume 81.60 litres of beer per capita.
The source statistics and data
The data used to figure out who drinks the most beer in the world was sourced from the world population review. These figures represent the latest data from 2020.
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