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The winter shutdown is not only felt by pubs and restaurant owners who had to close their bars - but also by the brewers, who received significantly fewer orders than usual.
Now the associations of the German brewing industry are warning that without state support, the continued existence of many smaller breweries in the corona pandemic could be endangered.
"The small and medium-sized breweries were mostly able to survive the first gastro lockdown thanks to financial reserves, but the second lockdown is now pushing many businesses to the limits of their existence," says a joint declaration by the German Brewers' Association (DBB) and the Association of Private Breweries in Germany (VPB).
1500 active breweries in Germany
The associations are calling for "targeted financial support to secure their livelihood".
This has been lacking so far, criticize Brauer-Bund President Jörg Lehmann and VPB President Detlef Projahn in the statement.
Suppliers to the hospitality industry would largely fall under the table in the aid programs of the federal and state governments for sectors in need.
The associations emphasize that the higher turnover achieved in retail cannot even come close to compensating for the loss of the catering business.
In addition, breweries were also less than tenants of restaurants.
The brewers therefore want »fair bridging aid for clear future prospects«.
In an international comparison, Germany has a large number of breweries, which, however, often produce primarily for the regional market and are medium-sized.
After the number of active breweries had gradually decreased over several decades, it has risen noticeably in recent years.
The main reason for this is the craft beer trend.
Most recently, the number of breweries nationwide was more than 1,500. Around half of them are so-called microbreweries.
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