Germany: Oettinger to shut down its Braunschweig brewery by spring 2026

Oettinger will shut down its Braunschweig brewery by spring 2026, ending over 150 years of brewing at the site. Production will move to their Oettingen and Mönchengladbach plants, Inside.Beer reported on July 23.

Approximately 150 employees in brewing and bottling are affected, though logistics and material operations will remain in Braunschweig. A transfer company will temporarily employ the staff.

CEO Stefan Blaschak attributed the decision to stagnant beer consumption in Germany.

“Beer output in Germany has been shrinking for decades,” he noted, adding that Oettinger’s volumes have fallen to levels seen over 20 years ago.

As part of its transformation into a modern beverage company, Oettinger aims to reduce overcapacity and retire aging equipment.

The Braunschweig brewery, founded in 1871 and acquired from Carlsberg in 2009, would have required extensive modernization. Blaschak emphasized the need for proactive restructuring to maintain profitability.

Germany’s beer market continues to struggle, with alcohol-based beer sales down 6.8% in the first five months of 2025, per Veltins. BarthHaas also confirmed a trend toward non-alcoholic and mainstream beers, reducing hop use.

The planned closure met strong opposition from the NGG trade union. Union secretary Alexander Nimptsch criticized poor communication with the works council and defended the site's strategic importance: “Braunschweig is a competitive location that simply needs investment.”

He stressed its valuable logistical position in northern Germany.

This move echoes Oettinger’s previous attempt to close its Gotha brewery in 2022 — an effort ultimately blocked by a sale to Paulaner Brewery Group.

Observers now speculate whether Paulaner might again intervene — especially given its growth in non-alcoholic and Hell-Bier segments.