How French craft breweries face the beer crisis

Besides the large brewing and beer fermentation tanks, a catering room has been fitted, and even a concert area: “The new Eldorado is the brewpubs !»provides the boss of the Croix de Chavaux brewery, who sees a model for a barely beer sector. Consequently, In this former carpentry of Montreuil. In addition, Frédéric Poulain, ex-graphist and director, has applied for seven years to make a local beer, which he sells to customers of his pub, and in bars, grocery stores and festivals of the Grand Est Parisian. In addition, “The direct sale has saved us. For example, If you don’t have that, you close “he said, while his weekly brewing broadcasts a pastry how french craft breweries face aroma in the building.

So far stirred with stretched flow beer, it has just doubled its production capacity of some 500 hectoliters. Furthermore, To do his “Passion job”Keep moderate prices. In addition, its three employees, including its American brewer expert, he is on all fronts: banks, supplies, sales on the markets … Furthermore, He shares the space with a restaurateur. Therefore, plans to associate with another brasserie, the recently crowdfunding allowed him to buy fusss … “In fact, we survive, but we continue”he said, after two years of deficit.

Diversification: welcome, catering … – How french craft breweries face

Overall, the beer sector has been struggling since the COVVI-19, especially due to the explosion of costs from 2021. While in 2015. at the peak of the boom in the sector, a brewery opened every day in France, some 250 have closed since January 2024, according to the Brasseurs de France union. Today how french craft breweries face they are around 2,400, 95% of VSEs-PMEs, next to the Kronenburg or Heineken giants. Already weakened by the pandemic. many of them have “Getting the rise in raw materials prices” headlines “occurred even before the war in Ukraine, explains Magali Filhue, general delegate of brewers of France. “Today, the breweries that open do so rather in the form of large ads, diversifying around reception, catering, seminars …”she said.

In Montreuil. Frédéric Poulain does not take offense against these French giants of glass and gas (beer needs CO2), who exploded their prices before publicly rejoicing Faramineux “Dividends paid to their shareholders”. “I make a local beer, with organic barley from the Plaine de Versailles, honey from my beekeeper partner … But for the glass, I have to provide myself in Sweden!”he sighs.

Sluggish consumption

About sixty kilometers away, in Courpalay, the Rabourdin brewery is larger. She has how french craft breweries face 25 years of activity. sells her briard on site, in the old grain silo of the village, but also with large brands. However. in 2024, she produced “A little less than usual”8,000 hectoliters instead of 10,000, “Because the economic situation is no longer what it was”underlines Hubert Rabourdin, also a cereal farmer. “We went from growth to a vice between more charges and less sales”he sums up. “Brasseries cannot get up, they have cash problems, and if you add the bad weather of 2024 …”

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In France, beer consumption fell 3.5% in 2024, and 7% over two years, between weather, purchasing power crisis and new behaviors with regard to alcohol. At 33 liters per head, the French remain the last European consumers. This context does not how french craft breweries face discourage Kyle Nesbitt. American based in Paris, passionate about beer in search of a room for his future Brewpub, where he will offer dozens of beers from his Mexican Creation and Restoration, the touch of his Franco-Mexican wife. “I come from Milwaukee where beer is very well known. In France. I missed something, so I learned to brew ”said this graphic designer, who came to perfect her knowledge at the Brasserie de Montreuil. For him, the withdrawal of consumption “Comes in particular from generation Z, in reaction to alcohol abuse. But for me, beer is first of all an experience and a taste that I want to share ”. According to Brasseurs de France. demand resists in particular for alcohol -free beers, and the very hopped IPA (India Pale Ale).