Beer Prices in the Czech Republic Set to Rise

Beer drinkers could be forced to swallow even higher prices next year as the brewing industry is rocked by the soaring costs of ingredients, according to Plzen Prazdroj spokeswoman Jitka Nemečková.

The Bernard family beer company and the Primator brewery in Náchod have also announced price hikes in the coming weeks and the famous Budvar brewery has indicated a likely price increase as of next year. 

The price of hops and other ingredients have risen sharply after the summer heatwave scorched harvests across Europe, but other costs, such as energy, are also rising. The report from analysts at the investment bank Berenberg predicts the world’s biggest brewers, such as Heinken and Carlsberg, are facing a rise in production costs of around 16% going into 2019.

Last year, retail sales for beer in the Czech Republic reached Kč 16.4 billion from June 2016 to May 2017. Year-on-year, it was a one-percent increase, daily Hospodářské noviny (HN) reported. 

On an international basis, the Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita, and has held that position for 24 years, as long as the independent Czech Republic has existed: Czechs annually drink on average 143.3 liters of beer per person. 

Author: red