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Wiesbaden (dpa) - Despite permanently closed pubs, the German breweries have proclaimed a real bearer of hope on Beer Day: alcohol-free beer.

In the Corona crisis, the alcohol-free varieties held up much better than the conventional beers, as the German Brewers Association reported on Friday in Berlin.

According to this, 663 million liters of non-alcoholic beer and malt were produced in 2020, almost unchanged from 674 million liters in the previous year.

At 1.6 percent, the decline was significantly less than that of the alcoholic varieties at 5.5 percent.

The rise of the former “motorist beer” has been going on for years: in 2010 only 430 million liters of non-alcoholic beverages were produced.

The market share has since climbed from 4.9 to around 7 percent.

The Brewers' Association believes that a 10 percent share is possible in the long term.

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With the success, the number of alcohol-free brands rose to more than 700, as the association reported.

In addition to classic types such as Pils, wheat beer and shandy, more and more regional beers such as Kölsch and Alt are coming onto the market as non-alcoholic varieties.

The popular Helle and craft varieties such as India Pale Ale have also long been available without alcohol.

More than 80 percent of the alcohol-free beer is sold through retailers.

As with conventional beers, the top seller is the Pils.

According to a survey commissioned by the Brewers' Association, almost half of consumers (46 percent) drink alcohol-free beers - and the number is rising.

General beer consumption in Germany has been declining for years.

The reasons are demographic development and a more health-conscious lifestyle.

In the past year, the pandemic also hit the brewing industry with months of restaurant closings and event bans.

"The positive development in alcohol-free beers is a small ray of hope, even if increases in trade in this still manageable segment can of course never compensate for the complete collapse of the catering business," said Brauerbund managing director Holger Eichele.

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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210423-99-321186 / 2

Communication from the German Brewers' Association

German Brewers Association Press

Federal Statistical Office on beer sales 2020