Hofbrauhaus Wolters files for bankruptcy amid rising energy costs and falling beer demand

Hofbrauhaus Wolters, a German brewery founded in 1627 and among the country’s oldest, has filed for bankruptcy. The company cites sharply higher operational expenses and a steep decline in beer consumption as primary reasons. The filing comes as Germany faces elevated energy prices after reducing Russian oil and gas imports and amid higher crude oil prices linked to recent conflicts involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

A court‑appointed administrator will oversee the restructuring while current management remains in place. Employees are expected to keep their jobs as the brewery plans to shift production toward non‑alcoholic beverages. National beer consumption has fallen to historically low levels, projected to be at a record low in 2025. The German economy, already weakened by recessions in 2023‑2024 and near‑stagnation in 2025, is expected to grow only about 0.5% this year. Other German firms, including automotive giants Mercedes‑Benz and BMW, are also coping with rising energy costs and weakened demand.