It is no denying the covid-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc not only on countries’ health systems and populations but will be leaving many weak economies in a precarious situation akin to the Great Depression in the late 1920s.
Having painstakingly developed and nurtured the burgeoning craft beer scene in the past decade to five years here, the Bulgarian craft beer industry is now on its knees. Specialised craft beer bars and shops saw their customers disappear as snow in the sun whilst breweries that had cranked up production to be able to supply the sunnier months and the upcoming craft beer festival seasons, saw 85-90% of their customer base disappear at a snap of a finger.
It is as if independent craft beer companies didn’t have it tough before the pandemic, shut out of the lucrative mainstream beer market by the big three macro beer multinationals controlling more then 90% of the beer market through dubious tap loop holes and production methods, their part of the Bulgarian beer glass was just a few dregs anyway.
‘Well’ you may say ‘their product is far too expensive, even the imported Czech, German or Belgian beer is cheaper…!’.
That is true for one simple reason, economies of scale. Several of the best Bulgarian brewers brew in a 200L, maximum 600L brewhouse – with the exception of Hills, Glarus and Metalhead who brew in 2000L plus brew houses. Even including these bigger players, they literally do not have the buying power for cheaper ingredients, malt and hop prices have been rising annually since the craft beer craze and the price of glass is daily light robbery. In short, independent craft beer companies in Bulgaria buy their raw material at retail level whereas the bigger producers 20 to 1 million times larger get theirs at preferential levels as they are just too large to ignore by suppliers. Therefore do not believe that the margins craft brewers are making are big, they are priced to the market too!
So the nuclear fall-out of this pandemic is expected to be pretty atrocious to the Bulgarian craft beer industry and when everybody is under economic pressure, it is nearly rude to ask to ask to support what people could consider a luxury item, but even dropping in to a specialised beer shop for a take away bottle helps a little bit – you have paid for the survival of a nascent industry in Bulgaria, the salary of the driver who brought the beer to the shop and your favourite craft beer shop can pay the rent.
So, crank up your laptop – buy on line or snap up your mask – go visit your craft beer shop, have a craft beer brewed with love and affection by somebody who really cares about his product, it may change your life!
