Germany: Schlussle Bier, one of Bavaria’s oldest breweries, forced to cease operations

One of Bavaria's oldest breweries, Schlussle Bier, is forced to cease operations due to losses. It has been on the market for 334 years, local media reported.

„At the end of the year we will stop producing beer”, they say in an official statement from Schlussle Bier. The reasons for this are entirely economic. "Maintaining a brewery requires a large investment. With the current increase in costs and the general decrease in beer consumption, it is unprofitable to continue operating”, said Schlussle Bier.

"Beer consumption is falling, but raw material and energy prices are rising. We have suffered losses in the brewing business for 10 years now. Meanwhile, beer production is approaching the 100,000-liter mark - that's a third less than in 2018,” brewery owner Christa Zoller told newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

Fizzy drink prices need to be twice what they are now to have enough money to buy new equipment. “Bureaucracy also makes it difficult for us. In these conditions, every entrepreneur thinks about whether he wants to continue being self-employed, Zoller emphasized. The brewery also has a restaurant and a beer hall, which are not expected to be closed.

The Schlussle Bier brewery was founded in 1690 in Neu Ulm. It is one of the oldest and most traditional breweries in Bavaria. The brewery and restaurant have been owned by the Zoller family for over 135 years. Offers over 10 types of beer, including 6 craft beers.

On average, around 38,000 tons of hops are harvested annually in Germany, with 85% of the total crop coming from the world's largest plantation, Hallertau, located in the center of the federal state of Bavaria. The plantation, which operates over 1,100 hop farms on an area of 15,400 hectares, produces approximately a quarter of the annual world volume of this crop.

About 1,500 breweries are registered in Germany, producing products under 6,000 brands. The majority - 70% - are concentrated in the three federal provinces. About 600 are located in Bavaria, about 200 in Baden-Württemberg, another 150 in North Rhine-Westphalia.

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