German beer sales down again in 2021 as pandemic persisted

BERLIN (AP) — Official figures show that German beer sales dropped another 2.2% last year, with the coronavirus pandemic again weighing on brewers after sales tumbled 5.5% in 2020. Lockdowns that shut restaurants and bars for parts of the past two years have added to a long-term downward trend fueled by health concerns and other factors. The Federal Statistical Office said Tuesday that German-based breweries and distributors sold about 8.5 billion liters (2.2 billion gallons) of beer in 2021. Beer exports to other countries in the European Union dropped 4%, while exports to countries outside the bloc were up 12.7%.