Overview
- Official data show domestic alcoholic beer fell 5.8% in 2025 to 6.4 billion liters, with total brewery output including exports down 6% to 7.8 billion liters.
- Brewers report fast growth in alcohol‑free beer, which now accounts for roughly 10–11% of consumption, yet it does not replace the lost demand for full‑strength beer.
- Bar and restaurant closures since the pandemic—about 11,000 in total, including roughly 2,900 in 2025—have cut keg sales and hurt a key sales channel for breweries.
- Rising energy, raw material and logistics costs are squeezing margins, with the German Brewers’ Association calling for reforms to support growth.
- In North Rhine‑Westphalia, output dropped by about 800,000 hectoliters in 2025, though Essen’s family‑owned Stauder says early‑2026 sales are above pre‑COVID levels.