Germany: Alcohol-free beer sales skyrocket this year

While Germany's overall beer consumption only increased slightly in 2018, the sale of alcohol-free beer skyrocketed this year, RTL Today reported on December 28.

The German brewers' association has reported an overall increase of beer sales of only about 1%. It is the first time in years that sales have actually increased, which is at least partly down to the long and hot summer.

In comparison to overall beer sales, the sales of alcohol-free beer and beer-based mixed drinks have skyrocketed by 11% and 21% respectively in 2018.

Non-alcoholic beer currently constitutes about 7% of all beer sales in Germany. In the future, 1 in 10 litres of beer could be brewed to be alcohol-free. Even craft beer brands are moving with the trend and starting to offer alcohol-free alternatives.

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