Germany is in shock! Their beloved drink, beer, is facing a sales drop unseen since the country’s reunification. In the first five months of this year, beer sales fell by a staggering 6.8%, meaning the market shrank by about 2.3 million hectoliters compared to the same period last year. Even warm and dry weather, which should have helped the brewing industry, failed to stop this decline. Veltins sales director Rainer Emig called this drop “historic” and warned that such a trend hasn’t been seen in decades.
Breweries are now desperately seeking salvation in non-alcoholic beers, but as brewery director Volker Kul says, these are just “band-aids” that won’t save the industry. Beer prices are set to rise soon, which could further discourage consumers. Is this the end of the beer era in Germany? Or just a temporary crisis? Share your thoughts—maybe you know why Germans are turning their backs on their favorite drink!
