2024-07-31 09:54:47
Instead of traditional beer, more and more Germans are turning to alternatives. This is not only benefiting producers of non-alcoholic beers.
The trend towards non-alcoholic beer continues for German breweries. Last year, the larger companies with more than 20 employees produced 556 million liters worth 548 million euros, according to the Federal Statistical Office. That was 17 percent more than the year before (474.1 million liters) and more than double the amount from 2013.
During the same period, the amount of alcoholic beer decreased by 14 percent. However, the amount of 7.2 billion liters in 2023 still meant more than twelve times the amount of non-alcoholic drinks. Beer mixed drinks have increased by 11 percent to around 363 million liters since 2013. Compared to 2022, however, the amount of Radler, Alsterwasser and Co. has fallen again by almost 10 percent.
The figures from the production statistics also include quantities that are exported. The trend towards non-alcoholic varieties can be explained by the fact that many people have a healthier and more active lifestyle. In addition, society is aging, which leads to lower beer consumption per capita on average.
The German Brewers’ Association reports an output of 665 million liters of non-alcoholic beer for the past year, including smaller companies. According to the association’s calculations, German per capita consumption last year was 88 liters of beer, of which just under 8 liters were non-alcoholic. According to Brewers’ Association General Manager Holger Eichele, non-alcoholic beer is increasingly becoming an export hit to the European Union and third countries such as the USA.