Should beer become much more expensive because of the exploding energy costs? “Yes,” says the Erdinger Weißbräu brewery. The prices for beer have risen less than for other products in recent years.
The head of sales at the Erdinger Weißbräu brewery thinks beer is far too cheap. Against the background of exploding energy costs, beer should be much more expensive, said Josef Westermeier the news portal “t-online”.
“Theoretically, a crate of wheat beer could be three to four euros more expensive. Exactly when is open.” It depends on the trade whether customers will ultimately have to dig deeper into their pockets.
The prices for beer have risen less than for other products in recent years. “Shoes, cars and so on are much more expensive these days. Only groceries and beer cost almost the same, they are far too cheap, »said Westermeier. “If retailers and customers don’t understand that beer is worth something, there will be a radical upheaval in the industry. In the end, many beer brands will not survive.”
Brewing uses a lot of energy. The increased costs are “cruel, they have tripled”. In the event of a gas crisis due to the war in Ukraine, the family company would have to weigh up what it could and couldn’t produce. “Draft beer would be the least at risk, it’s the least energy-intensive. To put it bluntly: we need a wheat beer triage, a prioritization of sales channels.” So it would have to be decided which customer would get how much beer – here the most loyal customers would have priority.
