Spanish brewer Corporación Hijos de Rivera, the owner beer brand Estrella Galicia, has expanded its international footprint with a subsidiary in Germany.
The wholly owned unit, Estrella Galicia Alemania, will give the company direct control over its German operations.
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The company declined to provide additional details when contacted by Just Drinks.
The move follows the May launch of its Italian subsidiary, adding to a global roster that includes Brazil, China, the Philippines, Mexico, the UK and Portugal.
Hijos de Rivera identified Germany as a “strategic” market for the business.
According to CEO Francisco Ucha, the move will help the Hijos de Rivera “streamline distribution and manage investments that support business growth”.
The expansion comes as Spanish beer exports increase. Exports rose 8% in 2025 to 3.64 million hectolitres, according to data from national trade association Cerveceros de España and Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Notably, tourists account for 30% of beer consumed in Spain, the report found, with most coming from the UK and Germany.
However, Germany does not yet rank among the ten largest overseas markets for Spanish beer.
In contrast, domestic beer sales volumes in Spain fell 1% to 38.2 million hectolitres.
Meanwhile, Germany’s overall beer market has also been on a downward trend.
Figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) revealed German breweries and beer warehouses sold about 7.8 billion litres in 2025, a 6% year-on-year decline and the sharpest annual fall since the series began in 1993.
Hijos de Rivera said its products have been sold in Germany for more than a decade and described consumer reception in the market as “very positive”.
It has secured listings with local retail chains Edeka and Rewe and formed partnerships with brewers including Warsteiner.
Aitor de Artaza, the international business director at Hijos de Rivera, said: “Our approach to international growth is not focused on immediate returns. Instead, we prioritise a sustainable and consistent model that respects the pace, context and specific characteristics of each market. We focus on regions where beer culture is firmly established and where consumers value both product quality and the brewing process.”
