Overview

• Oettinger’s chief executive warned of a wave of brewery failures and said the German beer market is down 7–7.5% this year, equating to roughly 2.6 million hectoliters lost domestically.
• Oettinger will cease beer production at its Braunschweig site next year as part of a restructuring, following recent warning strikes tied to a wage dispute with the NGG union.
• Hütt-Brauerei in Baunatal, a 270-year-old family brewery, has begun an orderly shutdown after owner Frank Bettenhäuser, 68, failed to find a successor; deliveries are slated to continue until the end of October.
• Official data show first-half 2025 beer sales in Germany fell below 4 billion liters for the first time since 1993, reflecting long-running demand erosion.
• Industry groups cite younger consumers drinking less beer, higher energy and input costs, fierce competition and export pressures, while brewers pivot toward non-alcoholic drinks and beer-mix beverages, with beer-mixes up about 8% and now around 5.6% of the market.