A collapse of beer supply as if things were not bad enough

Bottlenecks expected

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Brewers sound the alarm: is a collapse of supply looming in Bavaria?

The 0.5 litre beer could run out - because there is currently a shortage of bottles and crates for it.

Many breweries in Bavaria are groaning under the current production conditions. High prices, gas shortages and bottlenecks in packaging materials are causing headaches.  Some companies are already leading the way by working on emergency and savings plans.

"Hops, malt, crown corks, cans, pallets and even the paper for labels - we have extreme price increases everywhere," warned Walter König, Managing Director of the Bavarian Brewers' Association, as early as spring 2022. And it really came to pass: beer production has become extremely expensive within a few months.

Added to this is the looming gas shortage. The raw material is needed as an energy source for production. As the Süddeutsche Zeitung reports, some Munich breweries are already working on emergency plans. They are currently examining whether breweries can switch from gas to oil or even renewable energies to ensure production in case of an emergency.

Not enough bottles to fill

Probably the worst problem for breweries at the moment, however, is the shortage of bottles. In many plants there is a lack of empties to fill the fresh beer. Beverage distributor, Markus Pfister explained to Bayerischer Rundfunk that many festivals are currently taking place because of the relaxed Corona measures. In addition, customers would like to buy beer in larger quantities (especially during special offers) and store it at home for celebrations, parties and personal consumption. Beverage retailers and breweries, on the other hand, are slow to get the empty bottles and crates back.

Malt price extremely high

Brewers sound the alarm: will a crate of beer soon cost 20 euros? 

Even the production of new bottles is a costly affair in today's times, because it also requires gas. "If push came to shove, we would no longer be able to produce all types of beer and would probably have to concentrate on regional customers or wholesalers," Georg Schneider, head of the Schneider Weisse brewery, warns in Der Spiegel. The solution for the summer could be simple: "To ensure the cycle of crates and bottles, we encourage our customers to return empties promptly," the Spaten brewery urges the Bavarians.

One thing is certain, however: even with enough bottles and crates, the beer will become more expensive due to the production conditions. At many Franconian Kärwas or folk festivals, the 10-euro limit for a Maß of beer has already been exceeded.