In Germany, the beer sector is experiencing “a second crisis” because of the gas shortage

World Beer Day, which took place on August 5, was not as festive as in previous years. In this period of energy crisis, the industrial and food sectors, which are the most gas-intensive, risk significantly slowing down their production.

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The German government has instructed the Federal Energy Network Agency to classify the sectors of activity, those which, in the event of a gas supply shortage, will be served in priority according to their importance for the country’s economy. . Beer being an institution in Germany, brewers do not want to be forgotten from the list, like Ulrich Biene, spokesperson for the Veltins brand.

“We need to know if we will have access to the gas we need during malting, the first step in making beer, so that supermarket shelves don’t suddenly empty.”

Ulrich Biene, Veltins brand spokesperson

at franceinfo

“We have behind us the worst crisis with the months of confinement during the pandemiche explains. The brewing industry, and we in particular, are sliding from the first crisis to the second.”

Beer consumption is on the rise again in Germany, with an increase of 6.5% over the first six months of the year to the delight of Helmut Kurschat, a big bald guy who runs the Südstern micro-brewery in Berlin . “Beer is not going to disappear from the market!”, he assures. But he also deplores the soaring prices of all the essential raw materials in his trade, cereals, energy, which also weighs on the cost of transport. “It’s going to be more expensive and we have to pass the increases on to customers, we have no choice”he argues.

A year ago, a 40-centiliter glass of blond beer cost 3 euros 60 and today it is 4 euros.

Helmut Kurschat, owner of a micro-brewery

at franceinfo

The shortage is such, on the glass in particular, that consumers are invited to immediately return their empty beers to the deposit, after having drunk them… in moderation, of course.