Germans spend €7.4b on beer in 2017

Germans spend billions more each year on beer and spirits from supermarkets than they do on wine or champagne, according to a new study from market research company Nielsen.

The average German consumer bought 74 litres of beer and beer-based drinks over the counter in 2017, amounting to 7.4 billion euros (8.83 billion dollars) in spending, the study showed.

Consumption of wine, however, was significantly lower at just 6.6 litres per head last year, with Germany spending a total of 1.3 billion euros on wine.

Despite having a climate suitable for the production of wine, consumption of traditional German varieties such as Grauburgunder and Riesling pales against the popularity of the beloved pilsner lager and wheat beers.

However, the Nielsen research showed movement on Germany’s beer market, where less popular ales and non-alcoholic beers are increasingly finding their way into shopping trolleys.

Germany is famous for its rich beer traditions, which include a strict purity law, maintained since the year 1516, that limits the number of ingredients used in brewing.

Source: dpa