Overview
- New 2025 beer‑tax data from Bavaria’s statistics office show 22.5 million hectoliters sold, a 5.4% decline year over year despite the state remaining Germany’s top producer.
- Foreign sales fell 8.4% overall, with exports to non‑EU countries down 18.3% and EU shipments down 1.7%, pulling the export share to 23.8% from 24.6%.
- The number of Bavarian breweries slipped to 588, down 13 from 2024, and industry leader Holger Eichele warned that more family‑run houses are closing under strain.
- Brewers cite an aging population, younger drinkers choosing other or non‑alcoholic options, higher energy and production costs, and a weak restaurant and bar trade as key pressures.
- Some coverage links the non‑EU export slide to U.S. trade policy under President Trump, though the statistics do not identify causes, and a few producers and non‑alcoholic lines show pockets of resilience.