Outlining its annual results during a Wednesday press conference, the brewery has called 2019 a “pivotal year”, in part due to the record investments totalling some €9.7m. These include a fully automated yeast cellar, installed at the beginning of last year. The Bascharage site also saw the installation of new bottling and washing machines, expected to reduce energy consumption, which cost around €4.3m. 

And, in a bid to develop and test innovative products, the brewery also acquired a micro brewery, expected to be operational by Q3 2020. 

While Bofferding still remained its top brand, with some 100,000 hectolitres sold, Battin “stands out as a challenger to the two big traditional brands (Diekirch and Bofferding)”, the company stated in a press release. While its Funck-Bricher beer is gaining “a wider audience every day”, the company is struggling to convince the market on its 2016-launched, 100% natural Hop product and will therefore review this concept in future. 

Broader brewing trends

Despite the progress for the national brewery, the company states that world beer production declined by 1.9% year-on-year between 2017 and 2018. 

It’s a trend that continued into 2019. Even Germany, the European market leader, has witnessed a decline in recent years. 

The number of breweries and micro-breweries, however, is actually on the rise in most countries. According to the Brasserie Nationale, France saw a rise from 1,110 to 1,600 over the last year, while the figure in the grand duchy is currently at 11. 

Luxembourg brewers aren't the only ones to attempt to improve their ecological footprint. On 5 June, European brewers are expected to publish a report on environmental actions taken by brewers around the world. 

Brasserie Nationale, the drinks subsidiary of Munhowen, is the largest brewer in the grand duchy. The Brasserie Nationale-Munhowen group currently employs 266 people.