German beer sales at record low

German beer sales are at their lowest for 18 years

Rainy weather, smoking bans and higher prices have all led Germans to drink less beer this year.

German breweries sold 4.93bn litres (1.1bn gallons) of beer in the first six months of 2009, down 4.5% on the same period a year earlier.

The Federal Statistics Office said it was the lowest first half-year sale since it began keeping records for the unified Germany in 1991.

Experts added an ageing population was a factor as older people drink less.

"In addition to the weather conditions, the current increases in beer prices and the ban on smoking in restaurants and so on had an essential impact on the trend in beer sales," the Statistics Office said.

'Weather gods'

The vast majority of German beer was sold domestically, with 4.22bn litres sold in Germany.

But beer consumption in Germany has been falling steadily over the past decade, with higher prices and a more health-conscious public often blamed.

However, Peter Hahn, director of the German Brewery Association, said the "weather gods" were the number one factor in beer sales.

A wet summer has meant fewer barbecues and time spent in the nation's beer gardens.

Mr Hahn added: "We have a changing population. Older people drink less and there are not enough young people to make up for it."