Due to the war in Ukraine, the Swiss Brewers' Association has indicated that a beer price increase is on the horizon. The association noted that many brewers are struggling with the cost of raw materials, transportation and energy.
In a statement, the association said, "The breweries have been experiencing a tense [supply] situation for a long time." They explained that the COVID pandemic and the blocking of the Suez Canal had shaken the supply chain to its core, making deliveries less certain and less frequent.
Chief among current concerns is the war in Ukraine. Known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine is also one of the top exporters of barley, essential for brewing Swiss lager beers.
In preparation for the supply issues, some international companies are stockpiling as many resources as possible. According to Swiss news outlet TVO, the Locher Brewery in Appenzell has filled its warehouses to capacity, and hundreds of additional bottles have been bought to prevent a drop in production.
However, according to the manager of the brewery, Aurèle Meyer, a price rise may be unpreventable in the next few months. The managing director of the Sonnenbräu Brewery, Claudia Keel-Graf, agreed, stating that the current stockpiling measures are the only thing stopping price rises.
The Swiss Brewers' Association said that it cannot yet predict exactly where beer prices will go. Unlike other companies like Heineken, which have already announced a price hike, the association said that it would wait to see the outcome of the war, total harvest volumes and developments in energy prices before making a solid prediction.