Generous Beer Drinkers in Britain Come Out Top in Survey
British beer drinkers have found to be the most generous when it comes to buying rounds according to new research by Miller Brands (UK) Ltd’s and parent company SABMiller, as part of its Beer Etiquette report.
A massive 82 per cent of British drinkers are way ahead of other Europeans when it comes to ‘getting their hand in their pockets’. A tight-fisted 90 per cent of Germans would prefer to split the bill rather than pay for it outright, even to the point where they will sit and work out the exact amount.
The biggest round-buying region is the South-West with 93 per cent of beer drinkers sticking to a ‘kitty’.
Drinkers from the Midlands are the least likely to get the drinks in for their friends with a quarter (24%) splitting the cost of the round instead.
London was found to have the highest ‘generous spirit’ where 85 per cent of drinkers said they would buy somebody a drink without expecting one back. However, only 70 per cent of Southerners would not buy a drink if they did not guarantee the gesture being returned.
Romanians were shown to be the least concerned of having the favour returned with 91 per cent happy to buy, compared to only 16 per cent beer drinkers in Germany and Spain.
How Big is the Round
All of this generosity relates to how many people are in the round, what is being celebrated and where it’s being held.
British drinkers are more than happy to buy rounds for up to six people, the Scots and Welsh will go to 6.8 and 6.9 with Northerners at the lowest end of the scale with 5.4 people. Belgium holds the top with 7.1 for buying a round of drinks.
The ‘Beer Etiquette’ report was carried out by asking 7,500 men and women across 15 countries about their buying and consumption habits and thoughts.
Alan Clark, Managing Director of SABMiller Europe said: “The findings of our ‘Beer etiquette’ report illustrate that each European nationality enjoys its own unique beer culture and intriguing social idiosyncrasies. Beer was popularised in Europe thousands of years ago, and it is immensely encouraging to see that it remains at the heart of so many cultures, providing the all important ingredient to how we relax and celebrate, no matter what country you are in.”
British beer drinkers certainly love their pint and it’s great to see them in the lead for generosity in putting their hands in their pockets!