The ongoing coronavirus crisis is hitting Germany’s breweries hard. With restaurants, bars and hotels across the country forced to remain closed for weeks on end, beer producers have been faced with a shortage of customers and an overload of stock. 

But one brewery in western Germany has come up with a popular solution - giving away thousands of litres of German beer for free. 

Free beer from the Willinger Brauhaus in Hesse

Rather than throwing away its unsold beverages, the Willinger Brauhaus in Hesse opted to give away 2.600 litres of light and dark beer this week - in the hope that the lucky recipients will go on to visit the brewery and recommend it to friends once it reopens. 

The beer was destined for restaurants and hotels in the area, but normal deliveries were made impossible by coronavirus restrictions that have forced most establishments to close their doors for almost two months. 

With coronavirus restrictions now beginning to lift, the brewery needs to empty its tanks and refill them. But its old stock of unfiltered beer, with a shelf life of just eight weeks, won’t keep for the reopening of restaurants and bars - hence the decision to give it away for free. 

Next giveaway planned for Tuesday

The giveaway was - unsurprisingly - a hit with local customers, who lined up in their dozens to claim their free bottles from the brewery on Thursday this week - while respecting mask-wearing and social-distancing requirements. 

The Willinger Brauhaus later posted on Facebook that it ran out of beer by the late afternoon, but would have some more bottles to give away next Tuesday, May 12, from 9 am. So, if you’re in the area, why not pop by? There’s a limit of three bottles per person, so maybe take a friend or two!