When beer isn’t booze

As VB (4.9 per cent alcohol) and XXXX Gold (3.5 per cent alcohol) vie for Australia’s most-popular beer crown, Coopers announced a sales surge in the very different zero-alcohol beer market.

The Adelaide brewer says sales of Holsten 0.0% increased by 20 per cent in the last year. Coopers expect consumption to continue growing following decisions by national liquor outlets to range it alongside normal beers, not soft drinks.

Cooper’s Scott Harris said increasing sales in Australia, “reflect the situation in the rest of the world, where no alcohol beers make up to 13 per cent of total beer sales in some European countries”.

Market research group Mintel recently reported particularly strong interest in zero alcohol beer in Spain and Germany. European commentators attribute growing success largely to health consciousness and improved flavour. German-made Holsten, for example, is brewed like a normal beer, with the alcohol removed afterwards.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2014
First published:

  • 9 December 2014 in goodfood.com.au
  • 10 December 2014 in the Canberra Times