German bakers saved their breweries by using unsold beers

Beer sales in Germany are now limited by government measures, a problem especially with many small breweries that rely on the sale of draft beer. The management of the Füchschen brewery in Düsseldorf, Germany, has therefore decided to merge with local artisan bakers. They now produce special bread from local beer, which is nearing its expiration date. "It would be a shame to pour such a good beer into the canal," says the boss and owner of the brewery, Peter König. His family has been running it since 1908. From the end of March, customers can buy special beer bread made from top-fermented altbier beer in local bakeries. Bakers are ready to bake up to 15,384 loaves from the local brewery. Beer bread weighing 500 grams is now sold for three to four euros. About a dozen local bakeries have already joined the rescue operation of the Düsseldorf brewery, which have also been producing beer bread since the beginning of last week. "We simply use beer instead of water to bake bread, there's nothing wrong with that," they say. "It's great that these two ancient crafts have merged," says baker Janika Derksen, whose family runs a bakery in the city. Some German bakeries have been offering beer bread in their range for a long time, but on the basis of a different recipe. "If we were to use beer instead of water, we would have to sell bread so expensive that no one could afford it," explains one of the bakers. The brewery donated its product to local bakers free of charge, so each bakery now adds a bottle of local altbier to customers as a gift to the sold loaf. "It's a very hearty and tasty bread with a crispy baked crust and a soft center," adds the baker.