Berentzen Reports Sharp Profit Drop

Berentzen said weak alcohol demand in Germany at the end of 2025 continued to weigh on its business in the first quarter of 2026, as retailers entered the year with high inventories and ordered less new stock. The German spirits and beverage maker reported on Tuesday that revenue fell about 10% from a year earlier to 35.2 million euros in the first three months of 2026, while earnings before interest and taxes dropped by more than 80% to about 200,000 euros.

The company said the slowdown reflected disappointing consumer demand and low sell-through in the final stretch of 2025, especially for spirits in Germany. Berentzen chief executive Oliver Schwegmann said retail partners started 2026 with elevated stock levels that had to be worked down in the first quarter, which significantly slowed replenishment orders. He also said weak demand for alcoholic drinks in Germany persisted through the opening months of the year.

The results point to a broader cooling in the German alcohol market, where weaker household spending and cautious retail ordering have affected producers’ sales patterns. For Berentzen, that meant fewer follow-up orders even after products had already been shipped into the trade, a sign that inventory correction rather than immediate consumer demand was driving business conditions early in the year.

Despite the sharp decline in quarterly profit, Berentzen kept its full-year forecast unchanged. The company still expects revenue of 163 million euros to 173 million euros for 2026, compared with 162.9 million euros last year, and operating profit between 7 million euros and 9 million euros, down from 8.5 million euros in 2025.

Berentzen’s portfolio includes its core spirits brand Berentzen as well as labels such as Doornkaat and Bommerlunder. It also makes nonalcoholic drinks, including Mio Mio and Sinalco under license.