Beer is one of the Germans’ favourite drinks. But which brand tops the ranking of favourite beers?
Beer consumption has been declining for years. Especially during the Corona crisis and the lockdown, beer sales suffered a severe slump due to cancelled major events and closed pubs. Compared to the previous year, German breweries and beer warehouses sold around 5.5 per cent less in 2020, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. Nevertheless, Germans like to think of themselves as a brown nation with the best beers in the world. Depending on the region, there are countless, even smaller beer brands and different varieties. Regional differences are also reflected in the following ranking of favourite beers.
Germany’s favourite beer: the ranking
The pollsters at YouGov have determined the most popular beer brands of 2020. 30,000 online interviews were conducted between April 2019 and April 2020. A total of 26 beer brands were evaluated. To determine the favourite beer brands of the German population, survey participants were asked the following question: “Which of the following brands would you consider?” The beer brands queried included: Beck’s, Bitburger, Erdinger, Franziskaner, Jever, Krombacher, Paulaner, Radeberger, Schöfferhofer Weizen, Sternburg, Veltins and Warsteiner. And this is the result of the survey for Germany as a whole:
| Rank | Beer Brand | Consideration Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Krombacher | 16.8 % |
| 2 | Beck’s | 12.9 % |
| 3 | Warsteiner | 12.5 % |
| 4 | Erdinger | 11.8 % |
| 5 | Bitburger | 11.6 % |
| 6 | Paulaner | 10.6 % |
| 7 | Radeberger | 10.0 % |
| 8 | Franziskaner | 9.5 % |
| 9 | Jever | 9.2 % |
| 10 | Veltins | 8.5 % |
The percentages indicate how many of the respondents would consider the respective beer brand.
Beer brand ranking: the top 3 in Bavaria
If, on the other hand, you look at the results of the popularity survey for individual federal states, you can already see clear differences. For the most part, the most popular brands in the federal states have their origins in the respective regions. For example, the top 3 in Bavaria are:
| Rank | Beer Brand | Consideration Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franziskaner | 21.7 % |
| 2 | Erdinger | 20.8 % |
| 3 | Paulaner | 20.2 % |
Similar results can be seen in other federal states. In Berlin, for example, Berliner Kindl and Berliner Pilsner are among the top 3, while in Baden-Württemberg Rothaus Tannenzäpfle and Stuttgarter Hofbräu are in the top ranks.