Frequently asked questions

Know Your Beer is a Europe-wide consumer education campaign by EBCU (European Beer Consumers Union). It helps consumers understand beer labels, make informed choices, and know what questions to ask when buying beer. The campaign supports the EU's broader consumer empowerment goals under the 2030 Consumer Agenda.

Not yet at EU level. Unlike wine, beer is still exempt from mandatory ingredient and nutrition labelling under EU food law. However, the brewing industry has voluntarily committed to providing this information through a 2019 Memorandum of Understanding with the EU. By 2022, 95% of beer volumes in bottles and cans included ingredients lists. Ireland is set to become the first EU country to mandate comprehensive alcohol labelling, now expected in September 2028.

'Brewed for' typically means the beer was contract-brewed at a different brewery than the brand owner's facility. The brand owner designs the recipe and owns the brand, but another brewery produces it. This is a common and legal practice.

Look for phrases like 'brewed at', 'brewed in', or a brewery address. If it says 'brewed for' or 'distributed by', the actual brewing location may be different. Some beers include batch codes that indicate the production facility.

'Best before' indicates when the beer is expected to be at optimal quality. 'Packaged on' or 'canned on' dates tell you when it was actually produced. For hop-forward beers like IPAs, a packaged-on date is often more useful for judging freshness.

Yes. EBCU is a federation of independent consumer organisations across Europe. Any external funding for Know Your Beer is disclosed publicly, and funding does not grant editorial control. Editorial responsibility remains with EBCU.

We welcome partnerships with consumer organisations, brewing associations, and independent brewer networks that share our commitment to transparency. We do not accept partnerships that would compromise editorial independence.

We plan to offer content in multiple European languages. The initial launch will be in English, with translations following based on partner interest and resources.

QR codes allow brewers to provide detailed information (ingredients, nutrition, allergens, tasting notes) without cluttering the physical label. This is already mandatory for wine, where full nutrition and ingredient information can be provided electronically. Many brewers are adopting this approach voluntarily. When you scan a QR code, ensure it links to the brewer's official site rather than a third-party page.

The EU Consumer Agenda 2030 is the European Commission's five-year strategic framework for consumer policy, adopted in November 2025. It focuses on completing the single market, digital fairness, sustainable consumption, and stronger enforcement. While it doesn't specifically mandate beer labelling changes, it supports consumer empowerment and transparency across all sectors. Know Your Beer aligns with these goals by helping consumers make informed choices.

Under EU food law, staff must be able to provide allergen information for any product on request. For a full overview of what you can ask and what to look for in a venue, see the on-trade section of this site.