The German brewer Veltins has sold more beer and non-alcoholic beverages than ever before even though beer consumption is sharply declining in the country.
Sales rose slightly by 0.3% in 2025 to a record high of around 3.37 million hectolitres, the family-owned firm announced on Wednesday.
Turnover increased slightly by 0.4% to €461 million (about $537 million). Veltins does not disclose any information about its profits.
Brewery boss Volker Kuhl spoke of a crisis-ridden German beer market, where total sales of alcoholic beer are likely to have shrunk by more than 6% in 2025.
The loss of volume of around 5 million hectolitres in just one year is the highest in 75 years. Growth in non-alcoholic beers has only been able to cushion about a third of the loss in alcoholic beers.
According to Veltins’ market analysis, beer sales in 2025 will have declined in all major sales channels: by 4% (2.7 million hectolitres) in retail, by 8% (1.3 million hectolitres) in the hospitality industry and by 7% (1 million hectolitres) in exports.
The decline in beer consumption has also left its mark on Veltins. Sales of the core brand Veltins Pilsener fell by 1.8%, but its Pülleken light beer brand posted a 13.6% sales increase and its sales of non-alcoholic products were more than 10% higher.
Veltins is one of the most popular beer brands in Germany. Kuhl expects the private brewery to at least retain its third place behind Krombacher and Bitburger in the upcoming new ranking by Inside magazine for 2025. It might even improve to second place.
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