UK exports to the European Union 1975 - 1984

I'm enjoying this series so much, that I'm moving even further into the past.

And before you say anything, yes I know that not all of the countries I've listed were in the EU at the time. And that the EU didn't exist until 1993.

In 1975 the vast majority of British beer exports were headed for Belgium. at the time several British brewers, Whitbread, for example, had a considerable presence in Belgium. Whitbread even had a bottling store in Brussels.

But exports to Belgium suddenly fall off a cliff at the beginning og the 1980's and have never recovered. Why was that? Did some British brewers pull out of the Belgian market? Or were the beers being brewed locally? I believe production of things like Watney's Scotch Ale was moved to Belgium.

The only two other counties to which significant amounts of British beer weere being exported were Germany and France. A note at the bottom of the table reveals the probable destination of much of the beer bound for Germany:

"The figures do not include Ship's Stores for use on the exporting vessel, but stores for NAAFI and similar organisations abroad are included."

The NAAFI runs shops and bars for British servicemen. At this time there were still large numbers of British troops stationed in West Germany.

UK exports to the European Union 1975 - 1984 (thousands of barrels)
Destination	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Belgium & Luxembourg	226.2	212.9	179.1	182.0	193.8	166.4	130.9	92.6	85.3	87.3
Cyprus	2.0	3.4	3.2	1.7	1.6	1.0	0.3	1.2	2.6	7.0
Denmark	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.7	0.8	3.4	0.6	0.4	0.3	0.2
France	8.0	9.8	13.9	11.4	14.2	14.6	11.9	12.9	11.9	9
W. Germany	23.9	25.3	27.5	30.9	25.1	19.2	23.5	24.5	22.3	22.3
Greece	0.3	1.6	1.1	0.8	0.5	0.1	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3
Ireland	6.5	9.8	14.8	10.9	9.8	19.6	13.2	28.7	42	68
Italy	4.2	5.2	8.1	10.0	12.8	16.3	25.0	23.6	43.1	50.5
Netherlands	30.0	24.8	29.0	30.3	26.0	24.5	15.4	12.3	9.9	8.4
Portugal		0.1	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.4	0.7	0.4
Spain	2.1	2.2	3.7	2.8	4.6	2.5	6.6	2.3	4	1.7
Sweden	1.7	1.5	1.9	1.6	2.0	2.0	0.9	4.7	3.4	2.2
Total	305.6	297.4	283.4	283.2	291.3	269.9	228.8	204.0	226.0	257.3
Sources:
Statistical Handbook 1978, page 13.
Statistical Handbook 1985, page 10.
Statistical Handbook 1988, page 9.

Terroir

There's a lot of resistance in the beer world to the idea of terroir. The concept that certain beers belong to a specific location. And it's not just from big brewers, wanting to shift production around as it suits them. New brewers like to think they can brew any style in world, no matter where their brewery happens to be located.

EU attempts to protect certain beer types have been met with derision in the US. Why can't you brew a Kölsch in Colorado, a Münchner in Minnesota, a lambic in Los Angeles? Ignoring the fact that a microbrewery may well lack the necessary equipment to brew an authentic version, some styles are about more than the chemical composition of the liquid in your glass. There's a social context, too. That can be just as important to the drinking experience - and enjoyment - as the beer itself.

Stephen Beaumont said something very telling to me at the weekend: "I never got Kölsch until I went to Cologne." I know exactly what he means. Looked at in isolation, Kölsch isn't of itself particularly exciting. Yet who fails to succumb to its charms when sitting in Früh or Malzmühle, as the Köbes, rings of foaming glasses held aloft, dance through the crowds of merry tipplers? The tiny glasses, jam-packed pubs and blue-clad waiters are an essential part of the experience. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, they're a liar or an idiot.

Looking back, I can think of many similar experiences. At 9:30 on a Monday morning, sitting in the brewery tap surrounded by weirdoes, Hebendanz Export is the nectar of the gods. At home, alone, on a wet and windy Wednesday, it's just a well-made lager.

Beer is about a lot more than just beer. It's about people and places, too. That's why the concept of terroir does apply to beer. We should all rejoice in and respect that.