Georgia is experiencing a beer boom, with consumption reaching a record high

Beer consumption in Georgia reached an all-time high, while producers' turnover amounted to 636 million lari ($243 million) in 2025, UNN reports, citing "Georgia News".

Details

According to a new study by TBC Capital, despite rising local prices and a decline in domestic production, residents and visitors to the country are drinking more and more—largely due to the rapid influx of imported brands.

Key figures:

• In 2025, total beer consumption in Georgia reached 141 million liters. By comparison, the figure was 108.8 million liters in 2020;
• Over five years, per capita beer consumption (among residents aged 15 and over) increased by almost 21%—from 37 liters in 2020 to 45 liters in 2025. Georgia is now close to Greece and belarus on this indicator;
• Although domestic production still meets most demand (84%), the share of foreign brands is actively growing. In 2020, imports accounted for only 5% of the market, but by 2025 this had increased to 16%.

Domestic beer production in Georgia has been declining for the second consecutive year, returning to 2021 levels (the downward trend continued in the first quarter of 2026). However, producers' financial performance did not suffer: the decline in physical volumes was offset by an increase in average retail prices.

The average annual revenue growth rate of beer producers from 2019 to 2025 was 12.1%. The market remains highly concentrated—four major players share it, with five-year revenue growth ranging from 8% to 16%.

Beer trade dynamics have changed significantly in recent years.

In 2025, imports reached a record 21.7 thousand tonnes. By comparison, there were only 7.1 thousand tonnes in 2021. The main suppliers of beer to Georgia were Germany (30%), Russia (14%), the Netherlands (12%), Turkey (8%), and Ukraine (7%).

Supplies of Georgian beer abroad have been declining since 2023 (5.2 thousand tonnes in 2025). The main buyers remain Kazakhstan (19%), russia (16%), Armenia (15%), Israel (10%), and Azerbaijan (5%).

In the first half of 2026, the average price of imported beer exceeded the value of beer exported from Georgia.

The soft drinks market also showed steady expansion after the pandemic.

Although production volumes fell by 5% in 2025, data for the first quarter of 2026 point to a recovery. At the same time, exports are becoming the key driver for the soft drinks sector, reaching 162 million liters in 2025.

TBC Capital analysts note that the main driver of growth across the entire beverage sector is rising incomes among the middle class, the development of the HORECA sector, and positive tourism trends.