Holger Eichele, the CEO of the German Brewers’ Association, has issued a warning about the potential decline of breweries across Germany. He stated to the “Rheinische Post” that due to persistently high production costs and a decrease in beer consumption, it is expected that the number of breweries in the country will continue to shrink.
Sales figures have been below the corresponding figures from the previous year for the last two years, sometimes significantly so. In 2025, the industry finished with a six percent loss-a figure considerably higher than the usual annual decrease in beer volume of only one to two percent.
Eichele characterized 2026 as a “challenging year.” As of May of this year, the decline compared to the previous year had already exceeded five percent. The CEO warned that the industry is facing not merely a temporary drop in sales but a “real watershed moment,” citing various underlying causes for this trend. Among the factors he named were a negative consumer mood stemming from ongoing political uncertainty, the country’s demographic situation, and post-pandemic effects, particularly the continuing crisis in the hospitality sector.
Furthermore, a new report from “Barth Haas,” the world’s largest hop dealer, indicated that the output of the German brewing industry dropped by approximately 5.6 percent last year, reaching 79.24 million hectoliters.
