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Beer crisis in Germany: traditional brewery Carl Betz files for bankruptcy!
The traditional Carl Betz brewery from Celle files for bankruptcy; Declining beer consumption and high energy costs are putting a strain on the industry.
Beer crisis in Germany: traditional brewery Carl Betz files for bankruptcy!
The beer landscape in Germany is facing profound change. Per capita beer consumption has been declining for years, affecting not only German palates but also creating serious financial challenges for many breweries. So now the traditional one has Carl Betz Brewery from Celle filed for bankruptcy. Founded in 1893, it was the oldest roasted malt beer brewery in the country and offered a range that included Celler Pilsner and Celler Dunkel. The filing of bankruptcy at the Celle district court is another alarm sign for the industry.
The causes of this economic imbalance are complex. According to reports from the Picture It is the decreased beer consumption, rising energy costs and the necessary investments to achieve climate neutrality by 2045 that are bringing small and traditional breweries in particular to the brink of their existence. More than 90 breweries have already had to close since 2020, while beer sales fell by 9.5 percent in October 2025 - which corresponds to 600,000 hectoliters less. This development is particularly reinforced by the changing consumer behavior of younger generations, who are increasingly focusing on healthy eating and drinking less alcohol.
A look at the numbers
- Marken wie Oettinger in Braunschweig, die im Oktober 2025 die Schließung ihres Standorts bekanntgaben, sind nicht die einzigen. Auch die Privatbrauerei Eichbaum aus Mannheim und viele andere Familienbrauereien stehen vor ähnlichen Herausforderungen. Ein Überblick über weitere betroffene Brauereien zeigt die Tragweite der Krise:
- Genossenschaftsbrauerei Rötz (Bayern) – Insolvenzanmeldung (Oktober 2025)
- Familienbrauerei Landsberger (Sachsen-Anhalt) – Betriebseinstellung (September 2025)
- Rosenbrauerei Pößneck (Thüringen) – Insolvenzverfahren (Februar 2025)
- Privatbrauerei Märkl (Bayern) – Betrieb eingestellt (Mai 2025)
- Hotel & Brauerei „Schulzens“ (Sachsen-Anhalt) – Insolvenzantrag (Februar 2025)
The industry is in transition
The challenges are enormous. Higher energy costs and rising personnel costs are putting additional pressure on the sales situation for the affected breweries. Switching from gas to electricity requires extensive investment in new technology to meet the requirements of climate neutrality. Those too statistics shows that beer sales have fallen by 13.7 percent since 2014.
The beer crisis in Germany is influenced not only by traditional breweries, but also by demographic trends and changing consumer preferences. What remains are long faces and an anxious question: Where does this path lead? The future of German beer is in the balance.