Due to raw material prices

Existential worries before the anniversary

Hans Peter Hochstaffl lives and works every day for his dream of barley and hops. Raw material prices are currently a major concern for the boss.(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

Pinzgau Bräu from Bruck has made a name for itself as a tasty, regional craft beer. However, the economic outlook is not exactly rosy for the boss at the moment.

Hans Peter Hochstaffl and his Pinzgau Bräu team have survived the coronavirus period extremely well. The even greater focus on regional products during the pandemic even led to an increase in sales for the brewmaster based in Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße, and business flourished. In its heyday, the five-person team brewed 180,000 liters a year. Three times the amount compared to the early days around 2015.

Craft beer in Bruck pays the utmost attention to top ingredients(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

However, the high seems to have passed for the time being. A good 20 to 25 percent less of the so-called craft beer is currently being bottled. "That alone wouldn't be a problem," says the 55-year-old, "because we also have to pay one less employee."

Hochstaffl and his team brew a total of seven varieties(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

Customers seem to be paying more attention to prices again
However, the persistently expensive raw materials, for example, are putting a huge downward pressure on profits. A few years ago, a tonne of malt cost around 450 euros, but now it is almost double that at 850 euros, as Hochstaffl explains. "You chop like a fool, but there's nothing left over."

Next year, Pinzgau Bräu, which is primarily known for its quaffable Zwickl, hoppy pale ale and rich wheat beer, will celebrate its tenth anniversary. "But I can't say for sure how the situation will develop at the moment."

Hochstaffl has noticed that consumers are paying a little more attention to prices again and are acting more cautiously when shopping. The half-liter price for the seven Pinzgau-Bräu brands ranges from 1.55 to 1.70 euros. That is of course slightly higher than the big group brands. "The problem is, if I were to pass on the price increases like the retailers, a crate of beer would soon cost us 40 euros. That puts us in a dilemma."