More and more Germans are opting for non-alcoholic beer. It’s a fast-growing business for the brewery. What is the reason why the beverage market is so prosperous?
Production of non-alcoholic beer has almost doubled since 2007. About 670 million liters will be brewed in 2022. A survey last year by pollster Allensbach found that nearly 10 million people had recently bought or drank non-alcoholic beer.
According to the German Brewers Association, no other segment of the brewing industry has grown as strongly as non-alcoholic beer and non-alcoholic blends over the past decade. “Germany is now the world leader in the production of non-alcoholic beer. Therefore, non-alcoholic beer is becoming increasingly important for the 1,500 German breweries,” says Managing Director Holger Eichele. Currently, the beer market share is seven percent.
more varieties
Störtebeker Braumanufaktur from Stralsund is one brewery that pays special attention to this topic. Jens Reineke-Lautenbacher, innovation manager there, has set himself the goal of being able to offer a particularly wide variety. “From non-alcoholic pilsners as the category’s starting point, to non-alcoholic wheat beers as sports drinks, to non-alcoholic specialty beers such as Atlantik Ale Non-Alcoholic as a response to the craft beer movement , the variety range has increased significantly in recent years,” he reports. This is possible because there is a market for it now. The people of Stralsund already brew four to five liters of non-alcoholic beer.
Paulaner in Munich has been selling non-alcoholic beer for 37 years, says brewery owner Jörg Lehmann. We are very happy with the development. The end of the corona crisis is one of the reasons why the demand for non-alcoholic beer is increasing again. “People are more mobile again. That means they’re increasingly turning to non-alcoholic beer when they’re out in the car or on their bike. Overall, we continue to see good growth in this segment,” Lehmann said.
0.0% Very popular
Beers with an alcohol content of 0.0% are especially popular. The Bitburger brewery is the market leader in this field. Five beer and mixed beer drinks are now available here for 0.0% off. “Due to the increasing importance of non-alcoholic beverages to our sales and turnover figures, Bitburger 0.0% has been a fundamental part of our product portfolio for many years,” says Marketing Director Christoph Weber.
Plana observed differences in who chose which non-alcoholic beer. Jörg Lehmann: “0.0% of beer drinkers consciously choose beer without alcohol residues in order to promote an active lifestyle in their drinking behaviour. need.” . “They tend to come from soft drink consumers who are looking for an alternative, more conscious thirst quencher.” But there are also lovers of classic non-alcoholic beers, who demand that they taste closer to alcoholic beers.
New technology improves taste
Long gone are the days when non-alcoholic beer was mainly consumed by drivers, according to the German Brewers Association. The new brewing process greatly improved the taste and quality. Changes in people’s consumption and lifestyle habits and increased health awareness have also contributed to the increasing popularity of non-alcoholic beer and mixed beer beverages. “Non-alcoholic beer is consumed on a variety of occasions and is long gone. Many non-alcoholic beers are mineral and isotonic, so the body can process and utilize these components particularly easily – an advantage that athletes especially appreciate” , says Holger Eichele.
According to a survey commissioned by the Brauerbund 2021, consumers particularly appreciate the good taste, low calories and use of only natural ingredients in non-alcoholic beers.
Especially young people prefer non-alcoholic beer
Jens Reineke-Lautenbacher of Störtebeker was unable to identify a specific target group. “In general, however, it is young people and those interested in a healthy lifestyle who are particularly open to such products.” According to Lars Dammertz, head of beer marketing at the Krombacher brewery, non-alcoholic beer represents a “generational leap forward.” Easy to enjoy and well positioned to adapt to changing consumer perceptions of healthy lifestyles.”
There are now more and more local varieties such as Kölsch or Alt beer. Brauer-Bund predicts that one in ten beers brewed in Germany will soon be non-alcoholic.