Does the origin of inputs and processing matter? Evidence from consumers’ valuation for craft beer

In this study we aim at exploring consumer valuation for craft beer brewed locally and made with locally grown hops. The research is motivated by the fact that, although existing literature shows that consumers generally pay a price premium for locally produced foods or those made with local ingredients, it is still unclear how consumers value localness of production (i.e., brewing location) over localness of inputs (i.e., hops origin) and whether consumers value these attributes as either complements or substitutes. Moreover, little is still known regarding consumer preference for local ingredients in beer. Thus, we address these research questions by means of a choice experiment survey on craft beer consumers in the State of Indiana, United States. Results show that consumers have the highest willingness to pay for craft beer brewed in-state, but preferences over hops origin are heterogeneous. We find evidence of complementarity between brewing and hops origins among frequent craft drinkers and evidence of substitution between these claims for casual drinkers. Segmenting consumers based on how they define local beer, we find one consumer segment that has the highest willingness to pay for beer brewed in-state and made with hops that are grown in-state. These results can inform product differentiation, marketing, and pricing strategies. They are also relevant to state policymakers supporting local hops production and local brewing.     

精酿啤酒的消费者偏好分析

以消费者偏好为出发点进行了精酿啤酒调查问卷,发布并回收有效问卷1 025份。利用统计分析软件SPSS 25.0对问卷的数据进行分析,通过人口统计学特征和精酿啤酒月平均消费情况与影响因素两方面对样本进行统计分析,最后利用有序Logistic模型完成消费者精酿啤酒偏好实证分析。调查结果表明,精酿啤酒仍属于小众产品,市场并未达到饱和;男性消费者购买精酿啤酒比例显著高于女性消费者,消费水平与购买行为呈现正相关关系。对于有精酿啤酒消费习惯的消费者而言：有序Logistic回归分析结果表明,消费者对于精酿啤酒的依赖程度与对产品价位和大小规格的偏好存在相关性,但与对产品包装的偏好并无关联。通过调查分析期望为后续精酿啤酒新产品的开发与市场推广提供参考。     

Preference segments among declared craft beer drinkers: Perceptual,attitudinal and behavioral responses underlying craft-style vs. traditional-style flavor preferences

Craft beer is a product category that continues to expand, and craft beer drinkers are generally differentiated from traditional (or mainstream) beer drinkers in terms of their preference for innovative beers with novel and complex flavor profiles, and greater involvement in beer and product-focused behaviors and activities. The present research explores the existence of flavor-driven segments within the overall craft beer segment, where some declared craft beer drinkers exhibit the characteristic craft beer preference (stronger and more complex flavors), while others exhibit a preference for less complex and more traditional flavors. Research conducted with craft-style and traditional-style beers (n = 6) confirmed such preference segments in a group of male New Zealanders (n = 120). The preference segments perceived the sensory and holistic/conceptual characteristics of the beers similarly. However, they differed in specific attitudes and behaviors toward craft beers that were associated with the extent of their use and exposure to craft beers. The presence of the two preference segments was interpreted as being the result of a normal transition of declared craft beer drinker preferences away from the lighter flavors of the traditional style beers to which they had been accustomed and toward the more novel and robust flavors of craft beers. This shift in flavor preferences is tentatively attributed to the same exposure effects (mere and evaluative) that are responsible for flavor preference development in other foods and beverages. The implications for craft and traditional brewers are discussed and suggestions for future research presented.     

INTEGRATING SENSORY ANALYSIS AND HEDONIC EVALUATION FOR APPLE QUALITY ASSESSMENT

ABSTRACT

Apple cultivars were subjected to a consumer test in order to appreciate individual preferences and set up a protocol for a practical hedonic‐sensory evaluation. Cultivars subjected to the test were “Golden Delicious,”“Modì,”“Pink Lady” and “Fuji” of two different origins. Apples had the sensory profile defined by a trained panel and were evaluated by 154 consumers. According to their preferences, consumer population could be divided in six clusters. Consumer preference responses clearly associated the two “Fuji” and showed “Modì” and “Pink Lady” to have appeal on the same consumers groups. Besides expressing hedonic judgment, consumers were requested to indicate the positive sensory attributes determining their choice. Consumers appreciated “Golden Delicious” and “Fuji” on the basis of sweetness and aroma, while preferences for “Pink Lady” and “Modì” were expressed by consumers appreciating crispness, juiciness and a certain degree of acidity. The involvement of consumers in defining attributes driving preferences provides details useful for weighing up the consistency between consumers' response and sensory panel profile.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This work contributes to the knowledge on consumer preferences and concerning apple sensory quality. In particular, the tested varieties could be divided in three groups on the basis of perceived attributes. Knowledge of consumer preferences related to apple qualities can be a key point in planning production and marketing strategies. A protocol integrating sensory characteristics defined by a trained panel, hedonic consumer judgments and sensory preference drivers is proposed.     

Cheers,proost, saúde: Cultural,contextual and psychological factors of wine and beer consumption in Portugal and in the Netherlands

Wine and beer consumption are an integral part of European culture: Southern Europe is associated with wine and Northern Europe is associated with beer. When consumed in moderation, these alcoholic beverages can be part of a balanced and healthy diet. In the 1990s, non-alcoholic beer (NAB), which has no cultural roots, became available in the market. This review identifies determinants for consumption of wine, beer, and NAB, using data on consumption patterns from Portugal and the Netherlands. Since the 1960s the image of Portugal as a wine country declined, whereas the image of the Netherlands as a beer country remained stable. In each country beer is now the most consumed alcoholic beverage and is mainly a men's beverage, whereas wine is the second most consumed and is consumed by both genders. Cultural differences define Portuguese as “outdoors, everyday drinkers”, within a meal context, and Dutch as “at home, weekend drinkers.” Wine is perceived as the healthiest beverage, followed by NAB, and regular beer. Motivation for consumption is related to context: wine for special occasions, beer for informal occasions, and NAB for occasions when alcohol is not convenient. Moderate wine and beer consumption seems to be surrounded by positive emotions.

This review is relevant for public health, for industry market strategies, and identifies opportunities of future research on drinking behaviour.     

The Impact of Lightstruck and Stale Character in Beers on their Perceived Quality: A Consumer Study

The relative liking or disliking that beer drinkers have for characteristics generally regarded as off‐flavours by brewers, namely lightstruck and stale, has been explored in a consumer trial where products are presented branded and unbranded. Drinkers display a significant preference for fresh over lightstruck product, irrespective of branding. By contrast, drinkers seemed to be less clear about their liking or otherwise for stale character, although in this case they clearly prefer the branded product over the unbranded product when the beers are fresh and vice‐versa when the beer is aged. A stale version of a beer that consumers are familiar with fails to meet expectations for that product. Significant numbers of drinkers do declare a liking for lightstruck and aged character.     

Temporal Dominance of Sensations paired with dynamic wanting in an ad libitum setting: A new method of sensory evaluation with consumers for a better understanding of beer drinkability

While drinkability is of paramount importance when discussing beer, there is no established methodology to assess it. The main objective of the present study was to develop a new method of sensory evaluation with consumers to obtain a better understanding of beer drinkability. With the aim of being practically and effectively used in a wide range of consumer tests in an ad libitum consumption setting, a new method called the “Multiple-sip Drinkability Test” was developed to evaluate beer drinkability defined as “the will of drinking”. The method is based on Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) paired with dynamic wanting.This paper presents the test designs and the results from two studies of four commercial Japanese beers, one conducted with an expert sensory panel and the other with a naïve panel of consumers. The results revealed the importance of monitoring dynamic wanting over sips. In both studies, product differences in wanting, almost nonexistent at the beginning, gradually became larger.These studies also elicited the characteristics of beer with high drinkability. The product that attained the highest wanting scores in both studies was perceived as having less of a standout flavor, thereby producing fewer build-up effects on sensory perceptions, which suggests that the greater the sensory load produced by a beer, the less one wants to drink it continuously. This methodology should be used with different types of beers and consumers to obtain a broader understanding of the sensory drivers of beer drinkability and consumer satisfaction.     

Consumer perception of ice cream and frozen desserts in the “better-for-you” category

The consumption of ice cream and frozen desserts in the “better-for-you” (BFY) category has grown rapidly over the past few years, even as traditional ice cream sales remain stagnant. To better understand consumer preferences within the BFY category, an online survey (n = 1,051) was conducted with ice cream and frozen dessert consumers, followed by consumer acceptance testing of commercial BFY frozen dairy desserts. Consumers of BFY frozen desserts (n = 578) completed an adaptive choice-based conjoint survey and MaxDiff exercise to identify the attributes that drive purchase of BFY frozen desserts. MaxDiff exercises were also used to determine which attributes all frozen dessert consumers (n = 1,051) perceived to make a frozen dessert BFY and which stabilizers or emulsifiers were most attractive on an ice cream or frozen dessert label. Subsequently, a consumer acceptance test (n = 186) was conducted using 4 commercial vanilla-flavored frozen dairy desserts made with different sweetening systems (sugar, sucralose + acesulfame K, monk fruit + allulose, and stevia + erythritol). Half of consumers were primed or informed with the sweeteners and basic nutritional information for the frozen desserts before tasting, and the other half of consumers evaluated samples blinded, where they were only informed that they were tasting a vanilla-flavored frozen dessert. Sweetener type and base (dairy vs. plant) were the most important attributes to BFY consumers when selecting a BFY frozen dessert (n = 578). For all ice cream and BFY dessert consumers (n = 1,051), sweetener-related claims (naturally sweetened, reduced sugar, no added sugar), along with “all natural” and a short ingredient list, were the top attributes that contributed to perception of a “healthier” frozen dessert. When BFY frozen desserts were tasted by consumers, purchase intent decreased after tasting, suggesting that frozen desserts made with natural non-nutritive sweeteners did not meet consumer expectations. Flavor of BFY frozen desserts remains more important than perceived healthiness. Consumers perceive frozen desserts, even those in the BFY category, as an indulgence. Frozen dessert manufacturers should focus on naturally sweetened, dairy-based desserts with minimal sweetener-related flavor defects when designing products for the BFY category.     

How Foam Appearance Influences the Italian Consumer's Beer Perception and Preference

The current study presents the results of a survey performed to investigate whether different patterns of foam and lacing affect consumer beer preference and the perception of beer characteristics. The impact of three different levels of foam (huge, medium and little) at pouring, and two lacing patterns (very laced to not laced) during consumption, was evaluated on a set of 26 attributes by a panel of Italian beer consumers. Overall, beers which delivered a medium level of foam at pouring were considered by Italian consumers as the best dispensed, the most liked for their visual appearance, the most attractive to consume and the most likely to be purchased. Cluster analysis determined four groups of consumers with different preference patterns for beer foam and expectations for sensory characteristics of the beer. It was found that 80% of consumers preferred a medium level of foam and no lacing, whereas 20% of consumers preferred a high level of foam and lacing. Furthermore, for nearly 40% of consumers, foam and lacing patterns generated expectations regarding beer sweetness, bitterness, fruitiness, perceived level of alcohol, effervescence and the thirst quenching character of the beer.     

Relating consumer preferences to sensory attributes of instant coffee

The sensory profiles of 11 instant coffees including pure coffees (PC), coffee blends (CB) and a chicory instant drink (CID), commercially available in South Africa, were described and quantified. These were then related to consumer preferences (n=199) for the instant coffees using preference mapping. Based on consumer preferences, four consumer groups were identified, “pure coffee lovers” (23%), “coffee blend drinkers” (30%), “general coffee drinkers” (37%) and “not serious coffee drinkers” (10%). The “pure coffee lovers” prefer the more astringent, bitter, roasted, nutty and full-bodied flavour of the pure coffee samples. The less intense coffee flavour character, but higher sweetness and root flavour, typical of chicory blended instant coffee, were attributes that were preferred by the “coffee blend lovers”. The “general coffee drinkers” seem to consume coffee out of habit and are less concerned about the specific sensory properties of the coffee.     

The path analysis method of eliminating preferred stimuli (PAMEPS) as a means to determine foam preferences for lagers in European judges based upon image assessment

Judges rated images of lagers at different stages of consumption displaying various levels of head and lacing. Judges expressed their preference for one of four beer images at each of three stages of consumption. In so doing, judges created a virtual beer “preference path”. Judges then repeated the process as if the exact beer preference path they favored was unavailable, but any of the other 64 possible combinations was available. Judges continued to repeat this procedure until they had selected their top the five beer preference paths. We call this technique the “path analysis method of eliminating preferred stimuli”, or the PAMEPS approach, which allows simultaneous determination of preference among and within stages of consumption. Sampling of Belgian, Finnish, Irish, and Scottish populations reveals no preferences for foam images among stages of beer consumption, but suggest that within different stages of consumption there exist preferences for specific foam types at different geographic localities.     

Beer and wine consumers' perceptions of the nutritional value of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages

ABSTRACT:  In general beer has not been portrayed as part of a balanced diet. However, red wine has been promoted as a beneficial part of a nutritious diet. The evidence is that beer is at least the equal of wine from a nutritional perspective and in countering ailments such as coronary heart disease. This study used surveys to compare beer and wine consumers' perceptions of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. The consumers ranked 7 beverages based upon perceived healthfulness both before and after they were exposed to nutritional information about the beverages. The ranked data were analyzed using analysis of variance. The variance due to the 3-way interaction of place of recruitment, beverage, and ranking was found to be significant at P < 0.05. There was no significant difference between genders. Overall, consumers of alcoholic beverages perceived red wine to be more healthful than the other 6 beverages, including beer and white wine. The perceived healthfulness of a beverage does not appear to be the main factor driving the choice of beverage. Nutritional information does impact consumers' perceptions of the healthfulness of beverages. Consumers who are predominately beer drinkers were more heavily influenced by nutritional information than consumers who were predominately wine drinkers.     

精酿啤酒专用麦芽的研究进展

在工业啤酒日趋饱和的大背景下,精酿啤酒在中国受到越来越多消费者的喜爱,并呈现出广阔的成长空间。麦芽作为精酿啤酒重要原料之一,其品质优劣决定了啤酒品质的好坏。该文结合当前精酿啤酒专用麦芽的应用研究,总结、归纳了精酿啤酒酿造用麦芽的基本种类、制麦工艺、麦芽风味物质及麦芽主要成分对啤酒品质的影响,最后阐述了精酿啤酒专用麦芽对麦芽加工工业和精酿啤酒制造业的重要意义,并对精酿啤酒专用麦芽的前景进行了展望。     

Different shades of grey: Compromise products to encourage animal friendly consumption

Contemporary production and consumption are often characterised by negative externalities, for example regarding animal welfare. Despite consumer concerns about animal welfare standards in livestock production systems, the market share of organic meat is still low. The current paper investigates to what extent a more differentiated product assortment including “compromise alternatives”, providing consumers with more options to trade-off animal welfare against other attributes, increases the choice share of meat produced at beyond-regulatory standards for animal welfare. Results from a choice experiment in The Netherlands reveal considerable heterogeneity in consumer preferences regarding the trade-off between animal welfare level and price level. Two out of six segments, typically consumers with a lower education level and shoppers at discount supermarkets, are not or hardly prepared to pay a price premium for welfare enhanced meat. Two other segments show a preference for small increases in animal welfare level and associated costs. The remaining two other segments seem to reflect “protestors” against mainstream meat production in that they hold negative attitudes, beliefs and feelings regarding the consumption of conventionally-produced meat, either by turning to meat produced at high animal welfare standards (including meat replacement products) or by reducing meat consumption. It is concluded that an assortment that better caters for this heterogeneity in consumer preference by including “compromise meat products” is of the benefit to both the individual consumer (preferences), the animal (animal welfare levels) and the meat sector (clientele).     

微型自酿啤酒在中国市场的发展前景分析

微型自酿啤酒设备生产的鲜啤酒,它的发展不仅能丰富我国啤酒, 消费者提供最高级的啤酒,而且对促进我国啤酒业健康发展和啤酒生产过程中降低能耗,减少了污染都有积极的意义。     

DERIVATION OF A PROFILE METHOD FOR SENSORY ANALYSIS OF BEER FLAVOUR

Flavour assessment ultimately depends on sensory methods of analysis. Profile methods are considered to offer the best current solution to the problem of describing, and as far as possible quantifying, beer flavour. The sensory characteristics of flavour must be identified and described systematically and objectively, without prejudice due to preferences. A flavour ‘vocabulary’ is needed which is applicable to all types of beer. This involves selection of significant terms which have the same meaning for different people. Any system universally applicable to all types of beer must necessarily be complex, but such a “universal” system is essential for research. It also provides a “dictionary” from which terms can be selected for simpler profiles for quality control of particular products. The steps in the development of a profile system are described. Development has depended and will continue to depend on the collaboration of a large number of individuals and groups of people within the industry. Profile systems cannot be static but must continuously evolve.