It’s not just in the US. Beer is down across the globe, including beer-centric Germany where beer sales declined by 4.5% in 2023.
Sales of German beer to other countries was also down by 9.6%.
The German beer market has seen a steady drop over the years. Total sales in 2023 were 11.3% lower than in 2013 and 25.3% lower than in 1993.
The challenges facing German brewers mirrors those in the US. One challenge in particular has been the rising cost of raw materials. There has been a steady decline in European hop production due to weather related issues and that decline is expected to continue, with a rise in prices along with it. It is estimated that Europe will see a drop of 4-18% in traditional aroma hops yields by 2050, plus a 20-31% fall in alpha acids.
More on the story here.