As you may have noticed, I love news about the Bulgarian beer trade, like this tidbit found via Google News today:
According to the latest analysis of the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria... [o]verall beer consumption went up by 11 per cent. Kamenitsa and Zagorka experienced a five to six per cent increase in sales.Why do I love it? Because I am convinced that someone is just making it up. Making it all up because he can and no one really cares. I bet if we added up all the increased in overall beer consumtion reported from Bulgaria, I think it would add up to 3,567.6% over the last 18 months. It represents 127% of the Bulgarian economy now. Somewhere there is a bureaucrat at a desk in a grey concrete building in Sofia, wearing an itchy suit and sitting in a chair that has made the same squeek it has squeeked for 7 years now, convinced no one will notice when he just whips up one of these reports and foists it upon an uninterested globe. But I've noticed you, buddy. I've got my eye on you.
Comments
Justin - August 16, 2006 3:16 PM
Your theory kinda reminds me of Stephen Colbert's Wikiality skit.
Knut Albert - February 9, 2007 10:53 AM
Seems like they are sending me down there in a few weeks, so I can report on their beer market. If I can only figure out their alphabet!
Alan - February 9, 2007 11:18 AM
Your job is a very interesting one.
Knut Albert - February 10, 2007 7:33 PM
Well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
There are lots of meetings in various European frameworks. Some of the participants go straight for the national museums, some go for the discos, a few of us seek out the beers.
We should have young backpackers chartering the straits for us, but if they do not arise to the occation, we have to do the job. To go where no beer blogger has ventured before.
ludmil fotev - December 26, 2009 6:03 PM
BG beer market is owned on 90% by AB-InBev (before selling his breweries in 7 East-European countries some weeks ago), Heineken and Carlsberg. News reported was correct. Some more details from first hand: First: The price-quality relation is one of the best worldwide and it's the main reason to this figures (local light beer, 5% is 1 $/litter, licensed Stella, Beck's or Carlsberg is 1,5) . And second, the BG Union of brewers (part of Brewers of Europe) isn't bureaucratic organization - 2 women are running out the corporate duties, 100% private, against the officials who intents increase taxes, excises, etc. For me it will be hard be blogger about beer realities over the sea, but I'm ready discuss every aspect of EU beer culture..