Germany’s Brewery Count Returns Above 1,400

On March 27, 2017, the German Brewers’ Association reported that 1,408 brewing sites had operated in Germany in 2016, based on new data from the Federal Statistical Office. The total exceeded 1,400 for the first time since 1978 and stood about 100 sites higher than it had ten years earlier. More than half of Germany’s breweries were microbreweries producing no more than 1,000 hectoliters annually. The milestone marked a longer recovery after brewery closures and takeovers had reduced the number of active brewing sites in the early 2000s. Growth combined traditional brewpubs and small breweries with a developing craft-beer scene, even as consolidation continued elsewhere in the industry. The increase continued in 2017, when the national total reached 1,492 brewing sites.