Mélina Facchin, edited by Romain Rouillard 06:41, November 04, 2022

Christmas beer, particularly consumed in the east and north of France, already appears on the menus of many bars and restaurants.

But due to rising energy prices, this amber drink is expected to cost more than usual.

Professionals in the sector mention an increase in the cost of production of 5 to 15%.

There are still 50 days to wait before Christmas, but in several bars and restaurants, the festivities have already begun.

This Wednesday, November 2, the 2022 vintage of Christmas beer was officially launched in Strasbourg, throughout Alsace and even in the north of France.

As tradition dictates, this characterful beer can be found in all bistros during the weeks leading up to New Year's Eve.

Except that this year, the little Christmas mousse will not escape inflation and will see its price increase.

A beer "5% to 15% more expensive" to produce

In the family and artisanal brewery "Perle", in Strasbourg, the Christmas beer tanks are already brewing at full speed.

But this year, rising energy prices are on the agenda.

"As a brewer, we are a consumer of energy: water, gas, electricity", explains Christian Artzner, master brewer at Perle.

"We also consume a lot of raw materials and packaging, such as bottles, which are energy-intensive," he adds.

Christian Artzner, master brewer in the family brewery "Perle".


Melina Facchin/Europe 1

Barley malt, dried after sprouting, is the main ingredient in beer.

And that is where the problem lies.

"In the price of malt, energy represents 20 to 30%", specifies Christian Artzner.

Inevitably, his Christmas beer, like all the beers in his range, will cost more to produce.

An increase "of about 5% to 15%", he estimates.

A price up by a few tens of cents 

In turn, these production costs will increase the prices of beer in bars and restaurants.

Customers will only be able to see this when placing an order.

"We must not hide our face: it will have repercussions", admits Christian Artzner.

"We just have to find the fairest price and get as close as possible to reality in the next 12 months," he concludes. 

On the final note, the pint of Christmas beer should cost a few tens of euro cents more this winter.