The head brewmaster for Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, harbors a surprising preference: He genuinely enjoys alcohol-free beer. Although he acknowledges that he has a greater fondness for traditional beer, Tobias Zollo reveals that he often opts for alcohol-free beer during work or lunch breaks, citing its similar taste to regular beer but lower calorie content compared to soft drinks. This is achieved through the brewery’s unique process of evaporating the alcohol.
“You can’t drink beer every day — unfortunately,” Zollo quipped last week at the Bavarian state brewery in Freising, located about 31 kilometers north of Munich.
Zollo is not alone in his appreciation for this sober beverage. Alcohol-free beer has seen a surge in popularity as overall beer consumption declines. At Weihenstephan, which has been brewing since 1040 under the Benedictine monks, alcohol-free wheat beer and lager now constitute 10% of their volume. This rise, noted since the brewery began producing alcohol-free options in the 1990s, reflects a broader trend within Germany’s beer industry.
“The people are unfortunately — I have to say that as a brewer — unfortunately drinking less beer,” Zollo noted on Friday, the day before Oktoberfest began. “If there’s an alternative to capture the crisp and fresh taste of traditional Weihenstephan beer in a non-alcoholic form, we want to offer that.”
Remarkably, even at Oktoberfest, famed for its celebration of alcohol, alcohol-free beer is readily available. All but two of the 18 large tents at the festival serve this option, which will be available throughout the event’s 16 days. Priced the same as alcoholic beer—between 13.60 and 15.30 euros ($15.12 and $17.01) for a 1-liter mug (33 fluid ounces)—the sober choice saves drinkers from the inevitable hangover.
“For people who don’t like to drink alcohol and want to enjoy the Oktoberfest as well, I think it’s a good option,” remarked Mikael Caselitz, 24, of Munich, on Saturday inside one of the tents. “Sometimes people think they have more fun with alcohol, which is not true because you can also have fun without alcohol.” He added, “If you want to come and drink alcohol-free beer, nobody will judge you.”
This year also saw the inauguration of Munich’s first alcohol-free beer garden. Named “Die Null,” which translates to “the zero” in German, the establishment served non-alcoholic beer, mocktails, and other alcohol-free beverages near the city’s main train station over the summer, closing just days before Oktoberfest commenced.
Walter König, managing director of the Society of Hop Research north of Munich, explained that researchers had to develop special hops varieties for alcohol-free beer. Traditional hops lose their distinctive aroma when the alcohol content is reduced during the brewing process. However, consumers are chiefly concerned with taste.
“They only want to know that what they are tasting is as good as traditional beers with alcohol,” König said as he prepared for Oktoberfest.
