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The land of beer seems to be hopping on the wagon. Germany's beer sales dropped by 2.8% in 2009, the largest drop in 11 years, the country's statistics office says.
The drop in sales of German beer, which include the world-famous Becks, Warsteiner and Bitburger, is being blamed on tough economic times, though consumption has been steadily dropping in the country for some time.
The highest sales were in the North Rhine-Westphalia and, not surprisingly, Bavaria. Oktoberfest is held in Munich, the capital of Upper Bavaria, and during the 2009 festival, organizers reported beer consumption reached 6.5 million litres, with visitors guzzling down an average of 1.14 litres each during the two-week event.
German beer makers are hoping the World Cup this summer will get people celebrating and drinking again.
Peter Hahn of of the Deutscher Brauer-Bund, the country's brewing federation, said he hopes with Germany as a favourite in the soccer tournament many people will watch “the television in pubs, beer gardens, or on giant screens with a good beer.”
Hahn said German brewers are creating new and different lagers and ales that will hopefully also encourage more people to drink.
“The variety of flavours, with some 5,000 different German beers, is and remains unique in the world,” Hahn said. “We continue to build on the economic fortunes and the ingenuity of the German brewer. This will enable the German brewing industry in the years to compete successfully in the highly competitive beverage market.”