Germany: Alcohol-free beer sales double in past decade
Germany's non-alcoholic beer production has enjoyed a boom in the last 10 years, according to a new report. Low-alcohol drinks like Radler are also seeing increased sales.
Germany's Federal Statistical Office, Destatis, published a new report on Tuesday highlighting that drinkers across the country are increasingly turning to alcohol-free varieties for their after-work or weekend choice of beer.
In the last ten years, the production of non-alcoholic beer has more than doubled in Germany. In 2023, that amounted to some 556 million liters (147 million gallons) and €548 million ($593 million) in sales.
The new statistics were published to coincide with International Beer Day, which is August 2.
Destatis also noted that the production of low-alcohol drinks like Radler, a mixture of beer and lemonade, has also increased from 328 million liters in 2013 to 363 million liters in 2023.
"However," the report said, "there is still much more beer with alcohol being produced" in Germany than non-alcoholic.
If you can find it, Augustiner Hell Alkohholfrei is the best alc free beer.
Nice. Will look for it.
Here in Texas, Karbach makes a Free & Easy NA that comes in both an IPA and Belgian style that are pretty tasty.
I haven’t had that one, but will keep an eye out for it! My vote - so far - goes to Ur Krostitzer Alkoholfrei though - of all the non alcoholic beers I’ve tried in Germany, it has by far the most beer-like taste, doesn’t taste weirdly malty and hasn’t replaced the alcohol with sugar….
Jever Fun in my book. Love that crisp hoppyness
isso
Also nice: Flensburger Frei.
My suggestion ist the Störtebeker Bernsteinweizen Alkoholfrei. It has a really good mouth feel.
Nobody has it in stock, been looking in appr. 20 different markets
Check restaurants and beer gardens, they get priority delivery
That’s not an option, I don’t like people
Hey, I mean Helles is okay, but there are alc free IPAs from Maisel & Friends or Störtebeker!
Any recs on good NA whiskey?
I like Monday or Kentucky 74 (from Spiritless). I believe both are dealcoholized. Both at 0.5% ABV.
Huh, I never would have thought of NA liquor. Is it as close as NA beer has gotten these days?
Not as close as good NA beers, but good in cocktails. It's hard to get the mouth feel right without alcohol and most brands use capsaicin or something to emulate a burn.
These two are some of the better ones I've tried. I don't like most NA spirits for the reasons above.
*sink water left after washing beer bottles
Says someone who hasn't tasted one produced in last three years. Their taste has improved significantly.
They taste less like water and more like fizzless leftovers someone spat in?