Non-alcoholic drinks are a trend – even at the Oktoberfest. But according to the Wiesn boss and restaurant spokespeople, a separate non-alcoholic beer garden on the festival grounds is unthinkable.
Alcohol-free is the trend – even at the Munich Oktoberfest. Although the festival is famous for its beer, water was also a hit there last year. Demand for alcohol-free beer has increased slightly and is around four percent, said Wiesn-Wirte spokesman Peter Inselkammer. Across Germany, per capita consumption last year was 88 liters of beer, of which almost 8 liters were alcohol-free, as the German Brewers’ Association recently calculated.
According to Brewers’ Association General Manager Holger Eichele, non-alcoholic beer from Germany is increasingly becoming an export hit – for example to other EU countries and the USA.
But people are skeptical about the Oktoberfest. A beer garden on the Wiesn that only serves non-alcoholic drinks, like the one that has just opened in Munich near the main train station, is not something that Wiesn boss Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU), Peter Inselkammer and the second spokesman for the innkeepers, Christian Schottenhamel, think much of.
“The correct Bavarian expression would be: What nonsense!” said Schottenhamel. Nobody is forced to drink alcohol in the beer gardens. And there are non-alcoholic options, said Inselkammer. “Last year, people didn’t switch to non-alcoholic beer, but rather to other non-alcoholic drinks,” he said of consumer behavior. Sales of Spezi, lemonade and apple spritzer rose significantly.
The Oktoberfest will take place in 2024 from September 21 to October 6.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
