A chronicle of Francois Lenglet, a French journalist writing for the RTL, has brought our attention to the fact that the people of Germany are falling out of love with their own beer – and this is somewhat alarming. In 2017, the consumption of beer has fallen by 2.5% within the country, and this figure has been continuously dropping in the last decade.
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A survey conducted by The Federal Statistical Office of Germany remains very straightforward: in 2000, each person on average consumed 126 litres of beer each year. Today, it’s only 100 litres.
There are several factors which can explain this. Namely, that beer certainly doesn’t help in keeping those pounds off. One mass of beer (equivalent to 1 litre) contains 450 calories – that’s equivalent to a Big Mac. There are also alcohol-free beers on the market and they’re growing in popularity. As a result, this casts a shadow on the traditional choice of beer. Finally, the legislation that regulates production of beer remains increasingly strict.
We can all agree that beer is a legacy built entirely from German heritage. During the 16th century, there was even a law created in order to maintain the purity of beer – Reinheitsgebot, also known as the German Beer Purity Law – which limits the amount of ingredients that can be added to the magic potion that is beer.
In fact, it is considered to be so good that nearly 7 million people come to enjoy and savour this authentic national beverage each time Oktoberfest comes around in Munich. As for the locals, they seem to be moving away from this tradition. Is there more to it? Stay tuned!
