Alcohol-free beer is making significant strides in popularity, even amid the beer-laden festivities of Oktoberfest. This shift mirrors a broader trend in Germany’s beer industry, where traditional beer consumption is shrinking. At Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, non-alcoholic wheat beer and lager now make up 10% of its production.
Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo admits a partiality for alcohol-free beer, noting its appeal during work hours or meals. “It has the same taste but fewer calories than a soft drink,” Zollo explained, crediting the brewery’s technique of evaporating the alcohol. Founded by Benedictine monks in 1040, Weihenstephan has been producing alcohol-free options since the 1990s.
Zollo emphasized that while traditional beer consumption is declining, the brewery aims to provide an alternative that retains the crisp and fresh taste of a typical Weihenstephan beer. “You can’t drink beer every day — unfortunately,” he joked. Even at the globally renowned Oktoberfest, alcohol-free beer has staked its claim.
Alcohol-free options expand at Oktoberfest
Sixteen out of the eighteen large tents at the festival now offer the sober beverage, priced similarly to their alcoholic counterparts. The cost ranges between 13.60 and 15.30 euros ($15.12 and $17.01) for a 1-liter mug.
“For people who don’t like to drink alcohol and want to enjoy the Oktoberfest as well, I think it’s a good option,” said Mikael Caselitz, a 24-year-old from Munich. He noted that having fun doesn’t necessarily require alcohol and assured that opting for alcohol-free beer at Oktoberfest carries no stigma. This year also marked the debut of an alcohol-free beer garden in Munich.
“Die Null,” meaning “the zero” in German, offered non-alcoholic beer, mocktails, and other alcohol-free drinks near the city’s main train station throughout the summer. Walter König, managing director of the Society of Hop Research near Munich, highlighted the innovation required to meet this growing demand. Researchers have developed special hops varieties to preserve the distinctive beer aroma that can be lost during the alcohol reduction process.
“They only want to know that what they are tasting is as good as traditional beers with alcohol,” König said. As Oktoberfest continues to evolve, the popularity of alcohol-free beer underscores a shifting cultural landscape in Germany’s beer industry.
