This study conducts a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of scientific publications examining the relationship between consumer behaviour toward sustainably produced beer and the consumption and production context of their countries. Based on a sample of 112 articles (1991–2025) indexed in the Web of Science database, the main research lines, influential authors, applied methodologies, and emerging trends are identified. The analysis shows a growing interest in understanding how sustainable beer attributes influence consumer purchasing decisions, alongside notable thematic and methodological dispersion. Using tools such as VOSviewer 1.16.19 and SciMAT 1.1.06, the study maps the driving themes in the field, highlighting the centrality of concepts such as preferences and consumer behaviour. The results reveal both recent advances and existing gaps in the literature, especially with regard to beer in comparison to other beverages. This work contributes to the existing body of research and proposes future directions to enhance sustainability in the brewing sector from a consumer perspective, adding value to the beer industry and paving the way for more sustainable consumption.

Purpose: This study aims to assess whether sustainability attributes in beer – packaging and ethical production – generate measurable monetary value for consumers, and examines how healthy lifestyle patterns (health orientation and sports participation) moderate willingness to pay (WTP). The goal is to provide evidence relevant for ESG investment decisions in agri-food value chains. Design/methodology/approach: A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) with eight choice sets (two alternatives plus a no-purchase option) was conducted using data from 1,046 Spanish consumers. A Mixed Logit (RPL) model was estimated to capture both observed lifestyle-based heterogeneity and unobserved random preference variation. Attribute-specific WTP values were then derived from the RPL estimates. Findings: Results reveal strong market segmentation. Social attributes show negative mean WTP – Fair Trade (−€0.91) and Community Support (−€0.95) – but with large and significant dispersion (SD ˜ 1.10), indicating coexistence of “ethical” and “skeptical” consumer segments. By contrast, the “Sustainable” claim follows a lifestyle-driven value ladder: WTP increases from +€0.68 in the baseline group to +€2.18 among consumers with both high health orientation and sports participation. Packaging effects are asymmetric: reusable glass receives a clear premium (+€0.35), whereas recyclable glass shows no significant valuation. Practical implications: Findings guide firms toward segment-specific ESG strategies and caution against undifferentiated sustainability messaging. Originality/value: The study provides novel evidence that sustainability premiums are not uniform but driven by lifestyle-based heterogeneity. ESG investments in beer are more likely to yield market returns when targeted at LOHAS-oriented segments, while social attributes require careful communication due to the risk of skepticism in mainstream consumers.

This study examines the extent to which Spanish brewing companies disclose sustainability- and CSR-related information through their corporate websites, interpreting such communication as a sustainability-oriented disclosure practice that may symbolically contribute to the institutional visibility and public recognition of culturally rooted productive activities. In this context, the brewing industry is understood not only as a relevant economic activity, but also as a heritage-based productive sector linked to production traditions, technical knowledge, gastronomic culture, and territorial identity. The empirical analysis applies content analysis to the websites of 106 Spanish brewing companies using 24 indicators grouped into four dimensions: general, social, environmental, and economic. The results reveal a low overall disclosure level (22.46%), suggesting that corporate websites remain underused as tools for transparency, accountability, and strategic sustainability communication. General information is the most visible dimension, while economic disclosure is the weakest; among the substantive dimensions, social information appears more frequently than environmental and economic content. These findings suggest that limited digital disclosure may reduce the institutional visibility and public projection of the brewing sector as a culturally rooted productive activity. The study contributes to the literature by linking non-financial disclosure with the recognition of heritage-based productive activities embedded in territorial identity.