Beer for the Hofer Schlappentag will come from Saxony from 2027

The Hof Schlappenbier will soon no longer come from Hof. The organizers of the Schlappentag want to maintain their cooperation with the Scherdel brewery, even though its Hof site is due to close at the end of 2026 for economic reasons. The beer for the Schlappentag will then be brewed in Neuensalz in the Vogtland district of Saxony.

The Privilegierte Scheiben-Schützen-Gesellschaft in Hof (PSSG), the organizer of the Schlappentag, explained that this decision was not taken lightly. Especially as a brewery based in Hof had also applied to brew the special beer in future. They are convinced that the Schlappenbier will continue to meet the high standards in the future despite the new brewing location, they said.

A festival with a long tradition

Hof Schlappentag is one of the oldest marksmen's and craftsmen's festivals in Germany. It is celebrated every year one week after Whit Monday - this year on June 1. In addition to a shooting competition and a large parade, the Schlappenbier brewed especially for this day is one of the traditional elements of the festival. Hofer Schlappentag has been an intangible cultural heritage since 2019.

Last fall, the Kulmbach Group, the owner of Scherdel, announced that it would be giving up the Hof site. The traditional brewery is due to close at the end of 2026. It was said that economic operation was no longer possible. Kulmbacher took over Scherdel in 2003 following the insolvency of Scherdel Privatbrauerei.

Beer consumption in Germany has been declining for years. At the same time, raw material prices are rising. This is putting many breweries under pressure.