Germans shying away from craft beer
• Jul 9th, 2009 • Category: Beer News
The craft beer revolution is dying in Germany.
According to Brauwelt International, beer sales in the country known for Oktoberfest and biergartens dropped seven percent during the first quarter of 2009. Worse — at least for our purposes — is the fact that craft breweries are disappearing as bigger companies, specifically Oettinger brewery, buy them up.
Oettinger — “king of cheap beer” — delivers its beer to local supermarkets, a plan that necessitates having many regional breweries. The company plans to increase production by five percent and many of its brands retail for half of premium brands.
The craft market simply can’t compete.
(Thanks to Charlie Papazian for finding the story.)
I have heard this kind of story back in the early 90’s, “it’s just a fad.” Then successful buyouts and smashing of smaller breweries… Some are sure to get hurt. Some will fail, but not all. In the global economy that we have now will assure better American craft beer leading the trend, paving the world even in Germany. Boy, this sounds familiar…it will take a while but craft beer will flourish even in Germany.