German Woes?

Breweries Glum as German Beer Consumption Dries Up
Monday, 27 July 2009
BERLIN — Beer's status as Germany's national drink of choice may be coming to an end, according to new data Monday from a brewery which says it does not even dare raise its prices for fear of ruining sales.The Veltins company said it believed German beer consumption declined more than 5 percent in annual terms in the first half of the year, with higher-priced brands like its own worst affected.Michael Weiss, vice president of the Federation of German Brewers, said it was the worst decline in the industry's modern history. The Czech Republic overtook Germany in per-capita beer consumption years ago.Among the premium German brands, Veltins, Warsteiner, Bitburger and Jever reported declines ranging from 4.6 to 7 per cent. Veltins did not expect any revival till 2012.Veltins regarded any price increases as too risky before the end of 2010, the company said.For years, beer has been gradually falling out of fashion in Germany as people switch to drinks like water or to other alcoholic beverages, such as wine.Copyright 2009 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH