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.

EU regulations only require allergen labelling on beer, not a full ingredient list. However, from 2025/2026, beers must provide ingredient and nutrition information, which can be accessed via QR codes on labels.

'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.