Germany's Warsteiner sees sales grow despite shrinking beer market

DPA
·1 min read
A view of beer bottles of Warsteiner Pilsener placed in a beer crate. Bernd Thissen/dpa
A view of beer bottles of Warsteiner Pilsener placed in a beer crate. Bernd Thissen/dpa

The owner of Germany's Warsteiner brewery, the Haus Cramer Group, reported a slight increase in beer sales in the country despite a shrinking overall trend in the beer market.

Domestic growth of more than 1% was achieved last year, while the German beer market shrank by around 4%, a company spokeswoman said on Thursday. The company's core beer brand, Warsteiner, is gaining market share.

The Haus Cramer Group's foreign business grew by 11.7%, according to the company.

The family-owned brewing company traditionally does not comment on turnover and profits. The number of employees remained at around 1,000.

The Haus Cramer Group did not provide any information on its regional beer brands, Herforder and Paderborner, or its Altbier brand Frankenheim, an ale which is marketed primarily in the area around Dusseldorf in western Germany.

The company also holds shares in König Ludwig Schlossbrauerei Kaltenberg in Bavaria and the Rye River Brewing Company in Ireland, among breweries.