The challenge is to hold onto what makes your brand special while also keeping it relevant to today’s market,” says Michael Uhrich, founder and chief economist at Seventh Point Analytic Consulting. “When you build your brand and your products around heritage and tradition, like so many of the best German brewers have, there’s a risk that you end up being seen as old fashioned and even stodgy. Blame craft beer, blame macro lager, blame hard seltzer, but whatever the cause, German beer is not selling as well in 2020 as it was in 2000 or even 2010. Over the last 10 years German imports have seen a steady decline in our market. “It’s a tale of two cities,” Hauser said in regards to the success of Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr (a city on the rise) despite declining sales of German beer in the US (a crumbling city). The can stands out as the 16.9 oz format is larger than the standard 12 or 16 oz packaging typical of domestic canned beer. Last year Paulaner canned Original Munich Lager and Hefe-Weizen, introducing this packaging to the American market. In January Hacker-Pschorr put their Weissbier into cans for the first time, 600 years in the making. The Paulaner Brewery is one of Munich’s largest breweries and Paulaner USA imports Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and other brands like Fuller’s, Fr ü li, and F ü rstenberg. “The can has revitalized the franchise,” said Steve Hauser, CEO of Paulaner USA, in regards to introducing new drinkers to older brands. I’ve argued it both ways myself and it breaks my heart to say this but the Spaten Lager I had at the Red Porch at Nationals Park was by far the cleanest and most satisfying lager I had at the ballpark last year (despite best efforts to enjoy all of the craft lagers while cheering on the home team). An improved cold chain certainly helps German beers. Overall, cans may be better than bottles, and of course there are more American beers in cans than German imports. Are German imports better than American takes on German beer? It all depends on your point of view and I’ve heard it argued both ways.
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