Germany’s beer drinkers are drinking just as much beer but less alcohol as sales of non-alcoholic beers have doubled since 2007, with sales hitting 670 million litres sold last year, according to the German Brewers’ Association.
According to the association, it will not be long before 10% of beer sold in Germany is non-alcoholic, and the demographic of those who drink it is changing from the days when it was mostly the tipple of people who wanted to have a beer or two but had to drive. Today, it’s also widely seen as good for those who want to lose weight.
Alcohol-free beers were first introduced in 1972 by Engelhardt, an East German brewery that advertised it as ‘Autofahrerbier,’ or ‘auto driver’s beer.’ They arrived in West Germany a few years later, and are now brewed by most of the best-known brands.
