Romanians drank less beer in the first three months of this year, mainly because of the cold weather and heavy snow in January and February. This exacerbated the unfavorable economic context, as Romanians tend to control their expenses more.

The volume of beer sold in Romania was 5 percent lower in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period of last year. Compared to the peak year 2008, the Romanian beer market has dropped by around a quarter.

On average, Europeans have to work for around eight minutes to afford a beer, while Romanians have to work for half an hour, said Constantin Bratu, general manager of the Association Romania's Brewers.

The decline on the local beer market started in 2008 and eased in 2011, only to return to a decreasing trend this year.

In three years, the number of jobs generated by the beer industry in Romania went down by 21 percent, to some 76,000. In 2010, the beer industry generated some EUR 651 million in VAT and other taxes for the state budget, according to a Ernst&Young study.

The Association Romania's Brewers includes companies Bergenbier, Heineken, Romaqua, Ursus Breweries and United Romanian Breweries. These five companies together supply around 90 percent of the beer drunk in Romania.

editor@romania-insider.com