Aspectos culturais sobre o consumo de licor no Brasil: uma revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

According to Brazilian legislation, a liqueur is a beverage with an alcoholic strength of 15 to 50% by volume at 20°C and a percentage of sugar greater than 30g/L, made with potable ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin or simple alcoholic distillation of extracts or substances of plant origin, flavoring substances, flavors, dyes and other additives allowed in a complementary administrative act. The sales volume remains around 7 million liters per year, representing 2.9% of the Brazilian alcoholic beverage market, which makes the national consumer divide his attention between informally produced liqueurs and the big national and imported brands. Data indicate that the consumption of liqueurs in Brazil grows around 5% per year, a fact that motivates investment in this sector and increases market opportunities. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the consumption of alcohol and especially liquor in Brazil and to understand the reasons that lead Brazilians to consume this product. The methodology used was bibliographical and documentary research, with a qualitative approach, with a descriptive and explanatory objective to elucidate motivations that lead to the consumption of liquor. Although the consumption of alcoholic beverages is high in Brazil, the consumption of liquor is still low, with its highest consumption being in the Northeastern states and only during the June festivities. Liquor is a drink consumed mostly by women, given its sweet taste. It was also noticed that, for respondents in two surveys, the price of the product is not something relevant at the time of consumption, but none of them reports to which social class the respondents belong. Since about 70% of the Brazilian population lives on up to 2 minimum wages, with 35.63% receiving up to one minimum wage, it is to be expected that cheaper drinks, such as beer or cachaça, are more consumed. Despite this, more research is needed, since the lacks researchs on the cultural and marketing causes of consumption of this drink.