| Description. | Original Gravity. | Alcohol %. | Extractives (Solids) %. |
| Munich Draught Dark | 1056.4 | 3.76 | 6.58 |
| ” ” ” | 1052.6 | 3.38 | 6.45 |
| Munich Draught Light | 1048.0 | 3.18 | 5.55 |
| ” ” ” | 1048.1 | 4.05 | 3.92 |
| Munich Export | 1054.3 | 3.68 | 6.32 |
| ” ” | 1059.5 | 4.15 | 7.48 |
| Munich Bock Beer[9] | 1076.6 | 4.53 | 10.05 |
| Pilsener Bottle | 1047.7 | 3.47 | 4.90 |
| Pilsener Draught | 1044.3 | 3.25 | 4.58 |
| Berlin Dark | 1055.2 | 3.82 | 6.17 |
| Berlin Light | 1056.5 | 4.36 | 5.46 |
| Berlin Weissbier | 1033.1 | 2.644 | 3.01 |
It will be seen that, broadly speaking, the original gravity of German and Austrian beers is lower than that of English beers, and this also applies to the alcohol. On the other hand, the foreign beers are relatively very rich in solids, and the extractives: alcohol ratio is high. (See [Brewing].)
C. American Beers and Ales.
(Analyses by M. Wallerstein.)
| Description. | Original Gravity. | Alcohol %. | Extractives (Solids) %. | |
| Bottom Fermentation Beers (Lager Type). | 1. | 1046.7 | 3.48 | 5.08 |
| 2. | 1055.6 | 3.56 | 6.50 | |
| 3. | 1063.4 | 4.12 | 7.43 | |
| 4. | 1046.0 | 2.68 | 5.96 | |
| 5. | 1051.7 | 3.42 | 5.86 | |
| Top Fermentation Ales (British Type). | 1. | 1084.2 | 5.89 | 8.60 |
| 2. | 1073.5 | 6.46 | 5.69 | |
| 3. | 1068.0 | 5.50 | 5.53 | |
It will be noted that the American beers (i.e. bottom fermentation products of the lager type) are very similar in composition to the German beers, but that the ales are very much heavier than the general run of the corresponding British products.
Production and Consumption.—(For manufacture of beer, see [Brewing].) Germany is the greatest beer-producing nation, if liquid bulk be taken as a criterion; the United States comes next, and the United Kingdom occupies the third place in this regard. The consumption per head, however, is slightly greater in the United Kingdom than in Germany, and very much greater than is the case in the United States. The 1905 figures with regard to the total production and consumption of the three great beer-producing countries, together with those for 1885, are as under:—
| Country. | Total Production (Gallons). | Consumption per Head of Population (Gallons). | ||
| 1905. | 1885. | 1905. | 1885 | |
| German Empire. | 1,538,240,000 | 932,228,000 | 23.3 | 19.8 |
| United States. | 1,434,114,180 | 494,854,000 | 19.9 | 8.8 |
| United Kingdom. | 1,227,933,468[10] | 993,759,000 | 27.90[10] | 27.1 |
The chief point of interest in the preceding table is the enormous increase in the United States. In considering the figures, the character of the beer produced must be taken into consideration. Thus, although Germany produces roughly 25% more beer in liquid measurement than the United Kingdom, the latter actually uses about 50% more malt than is the case in the German breweries. According to a Viennese technical journal, the quantities of malt employed for the production of one hectolitre (22 gallons) of beer in the respective countries is 0.40 cwt. in the German empire, 0.72 cwt. in the United States, and 0.81 cwt. in the United Kingdom. In a sense, therefore, England may still claim pre-eminence as a beer-producing nation. Large as the per capita consumption in the United Kingdom may seem, it is considerably less than is the case in Bavaria, which stands at the head of the list with over 50 gallons, and in Belgium, which comes second with 47.7 gallons. In the city of Munich the consumption is actually over 70 gallons, that is to say, about 1½ pints a day for every man, woman and child. It is curious to note that in Germany, which is usually regarded as a beer-drinking country par excellence, the consumption per head of this article is slightly less than in England, and that inversely the average German consumes more alcohol in the shape of spirits than does the inhabitant of the British Islands (consumption of spirits per head: Germany, 1.76 gallons; United Kingdom, 0.99 gallons). This is accounted for by the fact that the peasantry of the northern and eastern portions of the German empire consume spirits almost exclusively. In the British colonies beer is generally one of the staple drinks, but if we except Western Australia, where about 25 gallons per head of population are consumed, the demand is much smaller than in the United Kingdom. In Australia generally, the per capita consumption amounts to about 12 gallons, in New Zealand to 10 gallons, and in Canada to 5 gallons.
(P. S.)