E-Malt.com News article: Finland: Craft brewing sector held back by needless bureaucracy

Microbreweries are being founded in Finland at a growing rate and it is now easier than ever to get your hands on a locally-made brew. But microbrewers say Finland’s needless bureaucracy is holding the industry back, as decision-makers still have to make good on their promise to allow the brewers to bypass the state retailer Alko and carry out direct sales, yle.fi reported on August 16.

The Malmgård microbrewery near the southern city of Porvoo makes beer that is sold in Finland and Denmark. Malmgård’s brewmaster Markku Pulliainen prefers Denmark’s alcohol policy to that of his home country.

“They don’t have any of these fictitious alcohol regulations there. You can buy our beer from the flower shop or a home decorating shop. And in Denmark, you can found a microbrewery by simple announcing that you are starting one up,” he says.

Finns are warming to the taste of home-brewed beer and the number of microbreweries here has grown at a steady pace. The total will soon surpass 50. The only thing that is holding the growing business back is Finland’s strict regulations on alcohol use and sales.

“New breweries are fighting for their existence at present. If the regulations and taxes could only be made more lenient, we could hire more staff. Now that there are so many microbreweries, we probably already employ the same amount of people as the bigger beer producers,” says Pulliainen.

The national alcohol retail monopoly Alko has also been attracted by the appeal of Finnish-made microbrewery fare and has made plans to expand its selection of local beers.

At the start of 2015, Alko told the country’s microbreweries that they could choose one to ten Alko locations to supply with their products. At present, nine breweries are contributing 14 different products.

Alko wishes Finnish microbreweries would be more proactive about offering their products for Alko to stock on its shelves.

“The new offer that Alko would sell items in its stores offers a very fast and flexible opportunity to put local products on sale. We are still working to develop awareness about the new microbrewery options and we are working with the smaller producers to promote this,” says Alko’s product group manager Mika Kauppinen.

Finnish legislation still makes it illegal for any business other than a vineyard or traditional Finnish ‘sahti’ beer manufacturer to sell alcoholic drinks with an alcoholic content exceeding 4.7 percent. Microbreweries dream of the day when they can sell their wares directly from their breweries, and perhaps rejuvenate Finland domestic travel and tourism in the bargain.

“It would enable all of us small breweries to have one clear sales channel. The permission to sell our beer directly would also equalize the competition. People wouldn’t visit our facilities just to buy our beer, but also to see what we do,” says Pulliainen.

Alko wants to support local producers, but says its mandate was decided long ago.

“The government and parliament decide on Finland’s alcohol policy. For our point of view, it is paramount that future policies and legislation should continue to support Alko’s special status,” says Kauppinen.

A number of MPs, including the current Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Mäntylä, have signed an initiative to grant Finland’s microbreweries the permission to sell their products directly. Pulliainen is sceptical it will ever be accepted.

“We have been trying since 1995, but we still haven’t a thing to show for it. The current government would certainly win a record in my book if it does go through.”


19 August, 2015