Beer Prices Soar In Germany

Germany, Beer Prices Soar In Germany

Just in time to reconsider your next European vacation comes news that beer prices in Germany are getting A LOT more expensive.

Not great news for a country known for its love of beer, even if they are primarily lagers confined by the age-old purity doctrine, the Reinheitsgebot.

According to data recently released by the Federal Statistical Office, the prices of beer and drinks containing beer (think Radlers) rose by 3.5 percent across the board in 2018.

That’s well above the official consumer inflation rate and concerning news for a country that celebrates Oktoberfest, (three weeks of beer love held annually in Munich), with more passion than they do Christmas, or even the return of Game of Thrones.

DW is reporting that “pilsners, lagers and dark beers were hit the hardest, with a price increase of 3.8 percent while “beer-based mixed drinks, like shandies with added lemonade or Coke, saw a price increase of 3.6 percent.”

Germany, Beer Prices Soar In Germany

All basically more expensive

Even the alcohol-free beers, which have been growing in popularity all over Europe saw their prices rise 2.7 percent, a greater increase than both wheat beers and Altbiers, which only rose by only 1.8 percent over the same period.

Yet, according to the recent report, German breweries showed no sign of slowing down production. It is, after all, a country where many begin drinking beer at the age of nine.

8.7 billion liters of beer were brewed last year in Germany, up 2.2 percent from 2017. And just as in the UK that increase in production had a lot to do with the long, warm summer and the month-long, beer-friendly FIFA World Cup.

Germany came in 15th in the Travelex’s 2017 index which ranked countries according to their beer prices, with Bulgaria in first place, trailed by the Czech Republic, Hungary and Mexico.

Most of the beer brewed in Germany last year was sold within the country’s borders. Exports only rose 0.1 percent in 2018. Italy remained the largest export market for German beer last year, followed by China and the Netherlands.

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