Beer consumption down 7 percent during the first quarter

When it comes to beer sales, the first quarter each year always happens to be the least significant. From January to March Germany’s brewers sold 20.7 million hl beer – the lowest sales since Germany’s Office for Statistics began its records in 1993 (for a re-united German state, that is).

The Managing Director of the Bavarian Brewers’ Association, Dr Lothar Ebbertz, blamed the decline primarily on the weather. While in February last year Bavaria’s beer gardens were open for two weeks already this year winter lasted until the end of March. Only during Holy Week did the weather improve.

Dr Ebbertz also pointed to the slump in consumer spending, which restaurants and pubs were the first to notice. Further, he mentioned the general insecurity as to the onset of economic recovery.

During the first quarter 2009, 86.3 percent of beer production was consumed domestically: that is 17.8 million hl. However, beer exports suffered a drop of 12.5 percent to 2.2 million hl. Beer exports to countries of the European Union were most affected.