Fewer glass bottles, expensive raw materials and the like: breweries expect the price of beer to increase further

Created: 04/07/2022, 20:46

By: Felicitas Bogner

There are still enough glass bottles in the warehouse of the Reutberg monastery brewery.

However, August Maerz does not rule out a bottleneck in the next order.

© Proehl

Food prices only seem to be going up.

The Ukraine war gives the development a big boost.

Breweries are badly affected.

Bad Tölz/Sachsenkam – No sooner have you swallowed the recent price increase than the next piece of bad news for lovers of Bavarian liquid bread: beer will probably soon become even more expensive.

Energy costs are climbing to dizzying heights, and raw materials have become more expensive in the past year – a trend that is continuing to gain momentum.

"In 2021, the price of malt rose by 37 percent," says August Maerz, Managing Director of the Reutberg monastery brewery in Sachsenkam.

"I don't even want to think about how things will continue this year."

Bad Tölz/Sachsenkam: Beer prices have risen - barley and wheat often come from the Ukraine

Maximilian Liebhart, managing director of the Bad Tölzer Mühlfeldbräu, reports something similar.

"The price of barley products has now tripled." He only had to raise prices at the beginning of March.

"Our Helles now costs 1.05 euros more per crate," he says.

"The latest price increase will certainly not be the last," he predicts.

Even though the managing director has other suppliers, he knows that many breweries source barley and wheat from Ukraine.

“These sources of production are currently completely gone.”

Bad Tölz/Sachsenkam: Increase in the price of raw materials for beer - the brewing industry is dependent on natural gas

However, the immense increase in the price of raw materials is not the only concern.

The brewing industry is heavily dependent on natural gas.

According to the German Brewers' Association, the energy consumption in most breweries is made up of around one third electricity and two thirds gas.

On this point, however, the local breweries differ.

Maerz obtains the energy for its Reutberger beer production from electricity and oil.

"But that doesn't make me any better," he says.

"Oil prices can hardly be paid anymore," complains the Lenggrieser.

It was only at the beginning of the year that he announced a price increase.

The hectoliter now costs eight euros more.

"But that's not going to stop what's skyrocketing because of the war."

Is not dependent on gas with his brewhouse in Tölz: Maximilian Liebhart.

Nevertheless, production in the Mühlfeldbräu is becoming more and more expensive.

© Proehl

Bad Tölz/Sachsenkam: Request from the breweries - return glass bottles

"Compared to many other large breweries, we are a special case when it comes to energy supply," explains Liebhart.

“Large brewhouses depend on energy from gas.

But the Mühlfeldbräu is powered by electricity," explains the master brewer from Dietramszell.

"A gas boiler would not be profitable with our 500 liter brew," says Liebhart.

However, the breweries are not completely independent of the fear of a gas embargo.

"Just because we work with electricity here on site means we're still hit by the whole rat's tail," says Liebhart.

For example, you need a lot of gas to make glass.

"We almost don't get any glass bottles anymore," says Maerz.

Liebhart also reports that his bottle supplier has prepared him that he probably doesn't even have to hope for half the bottles for the next delivery.

Both Reutberg and the Mühlfeldbräu would have ordered enough for this year.

“Nobody knows what comes after that,” says Maerz.

It is therefore more important than ever to return all glass bottles properly.

"We're lucky again in Germany with a well-functioning deposit system," emphasizes Liebhart.

Bad Tölz/Sachsenkam: High diesel price affects beer delivery

Maerz complains about a smorgasbord of problems.

"One can say that everything to do with beer production and delivery has become considerably more expensive." One shouldn't forget the current price of diesel.

"Both the delivery of the products and the delivery of our beer have become much more expensive as a result," explains Maerz.

"Of course, suppliers have already adjusted the prices, the truck has to drive something."

Bad Tölz/Sachsenkam: "The end consumer will feel it"

Whether it's the fuel prices for deliveries, malt prices that have increased due to Corona or the local electricity bill: "I get letters every week that something is getting more expensive or scarce," Liebhart knows.

"So far we're keeping our feet still and hoping that things will level off, but if things go on like this for much longer, the end consumer will unfortunately feel the effects," he says.

Maerz also says that he has no concrete plans for a further price increase.

“If the beer gets too expensive, sales stagnate.

But if the production remains so expensive, nobody can avoid going up.”

Bad Tölz/Sachsenkam: innkeepers worried about fewer guests

This would then also have an impact on restaurateurs and their guests.

The worries of food and energy price increases are just as great among landlords.

The impending increase in beer prices is just one of many problems here.

"We slide from one crisis directly into the next," says Monika Poschenrieder, district chairwoman of the Bavarian Hotel and Restaurant Association.

“You can clearly see it in the guests.

People have worries, are insecure and everything is becoming more and more expensive,” she says.

No trace of looseness.

They are already paying more for all deliveries.

To date, she has not increased the prices for food or drinks.

“We are trying to develop a concept that there are still affordable dishes on every menu,” she says.

"Creativity is needed again." For example, that more vegetables and less meat are served on a plate.

"If we pass on every increase directly, many families stay away from us," says Poschenrieder.

Like Maerz, she is angry about energy policy.

"We have long needed concrete and accessible funding programs for alternative energy sources," she emphasizes.

"I would immediately put a hybrid cell in here, but one currently costs 85,000 euros." But the landlady of the Tölzer Forellenhof "Walgerfranz" remains optimistic: "We are now crisis-tested and will find solutions."

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