Does the Packaging Change the Perceived Taste of Beer? Results from a Beer Experiment

Purpose – The purpose of this research was to verify actual consumer behavior concerning different beer packaging material and how it influences the perception of beer taste. More precisely, the main aim of the paper was to explore whether beer packaging can influence consumers’ subjectively perceived taste of the beer they drink. Design/Methodology/Approach – Following the literature research, a questionnaire survey was conducted on a sample of average Czech beer consumers (n=220). A subsequent experiment involving a sample of Czech college students (n=30) aimed at exploring the actual consumer behavior. Findings and implications – The results of the experiment show that beer consumer behavior can be influenced by the beer packaging material. If consumers knew that the beer had been poured from a glass bottle, they assessed its taste better than if they had no information on the type of beer packaging. Similarly, the opposite was found to be true of the plastic bottle – if consumers knew that the beer had been poured from a plastic bottle, they said it tasted worse than if they had no such information. No statistically significant difference was found in the tasting of canned beer with or without the knowledge of the packaging material. Limitation – The main research limitations lie in its regionality as the survey and the experiment were conducted only in the Czech Republic, with college students as participants. Originality – As there is only a limited amount of research available on beer packaging and its influence on consumer behavior, this paper provides a valuable overview of the issue.