Emotional and functional conceptualisations for beer, wine and non-alcoholic beer consumption in the Netherlands and in Portugal

Consumers have emotional associations with particular foods and their functionality in terms of for example health. These associations are defined as conceptualisations and play an important role in food choice. In this study the context of consumption is characterised and functional and emotional conceptualisations of beer, wine and non-alcoholic beer (NAB) investigated in moderate drinkers representing Northern and Southern European consumers. A qualitative study was performed employing eight Focus Groups: 27 Dutch and 29 Portuguese consumers. The data was evaluated using content analysis. More than a hundred, mostly positive, emotional attributes were evoked. Dutch consumers employed more emotional attributes than Portuguese. Wine and beer elicited the highest number of attributes. For the Portuguese, drinking wine brings a feeling of relaxation and pleasure and it is related to its sensory properties and accompanying foods. Drinking regular beer brings joy and pleasure and is mostly to socialise. Drinking NAB is being responsible. For Dutch, feelings like calm and relaxed are related to wine consumption, which has a role in communication. Drinking beer is about conviviality and connected to relaxation and exuberance. Drinking NAB is being conscious and elicited mainly functional and contextual associations, like staying in control when going out. This study showed that wine, beer and NAB have different conceptualisations: wine is the most emotional product, beer is emotional but also functional and NAB is mainly functional.