One quarter of Germans do not drink alcohol – marking a 3pp rise on 2024 figures. This highlights intentions to improve physical health, and the apparent dispensable nature of alcohol in times of economic squeeze. However, low-/no-alcohol brands are struggling to engage this cohort of teetotalers, indicating that they should seek to revitalise their offerings.
Low-/no-alcohol alternatives are not the only options for those moderating their alcohol intake – fruit juice and CSD brands act as natural competitors. Low-/no-alcohol brands can counter the influence of adjacent categories by tapping into the trend for refreshing summer drinks, utilising fruit’s natural flavours and creating a sub-category of drinks that goes beyond mimicry.
Peer pressure to drink alcohol remains problematic, but low-/no-alcohol brands have the opportunity – alongside the government – to re-mould societal attitudes towards alcohol consumption, ultimately giving consumers the empowerment to boldly enjoy whatever drink they like, without having to give a reason for their moderation. Health-related trends will play a role in what consumers choose to drink, acting as a boon for drinks with inherent isotonic properties that will help to stave off hangovers and the threat of ‘hangxiety’.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Alcohol reduction and consumption trends, with one quarter of Germans not drinking alcohol
- Usage of alcoholic, low- and no-alcohol drinks, with usage relatively stable over the past few years
- Change in consumption of low- and no-alcohol drinks, and the role abstinence plays in supporting no-alcohol drink sales
- Motivation to choose a low- or no-alcohol drink over an alcoholic one, and the importance of brands supporting a healthy lifestyle without making overt health claims
- Attitudes and behaviours relating to low- and no-alcohol drinks, and how to reduce the impact of societal pressure to drink alcohol
- Key new product development trends in the category
Alcohol abstinence is rising, with low- and no-alcohol brands primarily appealing to moderators. Focus on divorcing taste associations from standard alcoholic drinks, and redefining the social drinking occasion.
Javier Munoz, Research – Mintel Reports
Market Definitions
This Report examines consumer usage of and attitudes towards low-/no-alcohol drinks. For the purpose of this report, low- and no-alcohol drinks were defined as drinks designed as an alternative to standard alcoholic drinks. This includes lower- and non-alcoholic/alcohol-free beer, cider, wine and pre-mixed drinks, as well as soft drinks designed specifically as an alternative to alcoholic drinks (eg Seedlip non-alcoholic spirit).
For the consumer research designed for this report, the following definitions were used:
- Non-alcoholic/alcohol-free products with an ABV of less than 0.5%
- Low-/lower-alcohol beer and cider with an ABV of 0.5-2.8%
- Low-/lower-alcohol wine with an ABV of 0.5-5.5%
- Low-/lower-alcohol spirits alternatives with an ABV of up to 30%
Collapse All
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Outlook
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Advance the category taste beyond just mimicry
- Pique taste curiosity using fruit’s natural flavours
- Embrace new taste and functionality for traditionally high-alcohol drinks
- Spark AI suggests how to incorporate exciting, unexpected flavour
- Emphasise the benefits of alcohol avoidance
- Support health-related trends with low-sugar, low-alcohol and isotonic variants
- Highlight the holistic benefits of alcohol avoidance
- Heineken campaign highlights that you don’t need a reason to drink non-alcoholic drinks
- Encourage safer, more responsible socialising
- Endorse responsible drink education with alcohol-free drinks
- Reduce incidences of ‘hangxiety’ with low-/no-alcohol drinks
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THE CONSUMER
- Alcohol consumption and reduction trends
- Just a quarter of Germans don’t drink
- The low-/no-alcohol drink category struggles to capitalise on alcohol moderation
- Two fifths don’t drink alcohol due to disliking its taste
- Graph 1: reasons for not drinking alcohol, 2025
- Issues with taste may provide an explanation for the relatively low uptake amongst women
- Graph 2: consumption of different types of low/no/standard alcoholic drinks, 2025
- Usage of alcoholic, low- and no-alcohol drinks
- Over three-quarters of Germans consume low-/no-alcohol drinks
- Graph 3: consumption of low/no/standard alcoholic drinks (NET), 2025
- Beer is the most popular alcoholic and low/no beverage
- Graph 4: consumption of low/no/standard alcoholic drinks, by type, 2025
- Isotonic alcohol-free beer must also meet taste expectations
- Graph 5: consumption of beer, low-alcohol beer and alcohol-free beer, 2025
- Alcohol-free wine goes beyond just red, white and rosé
- Improve taste messaging to address low uptake of low-/no-alcohol spirits
- Repertoire
- Graph 6: repertoire of consumption of no-alcohol drinks in the last three months, 2023 vs 2025
- Graph 7: repertoire of consumption of low-alcohol drinks in the last three months, 2023 vs 2025
- Curiosity can encourage greater uptake of low-/no-alcohol drinks
- Change in usage of low- and no-alcohol drinks
- No-alcohol drinks gain traction amidst the shift towards abstinence
- A quarter of consumers are drinking more no-alcohol drinks in 2025
- Graph 8: consumption of non-alcoholic/alcohol-free drinks compared to a year ago, 2025
- Motivation to choose a low- or no-alcohol drink over an alcoholic one
- Over a third choose low-/no-alcohol over alcoholic, believing ‘it’s safer to stay sober’
- Graph 9: motivation to choose a low- or no-alcohol drink over an alcoholic one in the last three months, 2025
- Health-related benefits could deliver more motivation
- Highlight how low/no drinks can be less damaging to health compared to alcohol
- Alcohol-free drinks can deliver hydration to stave off hangovers
- Focus on the holistic benefits of sugar reduction – not just weight management
- Attitudes and behaviours
- Societal pressures around alcohol continue to affect Germans
- Increased acceptance of low/no drinks struggles to erode peer pressure
- Graph 10: sense of belonging felt by using the same brands as friends/family, 2024
- Consumers are curious, but familiarity is likely to convert to purchase
- Potential to attract non-users with product trial
- Graph 11: behaviour towards low-/no-alcohol drinks, by user/non-user, 2025
- General feeling that low-/no-alcohol drinks should cost less
- Graph 12: attitudes towards low-/no-alcohol drinks, 2025
- Sparkling wine is the third-most-popular low-/no-alcohol drink
- Category consumers attach greater value to low-/no-alcohol alternatives
- Communicate why low-/no-alcohol drinks are more valuable
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INNOVATION
- Launches of alcohol-free drinks show signs of continued growth in the first half of 2025
- Beer and wine dominate low-/no-alcohol launch activity
- Graph 13: alcoholic drink launches with no/low-alcohol claims, by sub-category, 2022-25
- Low-/no-alcohol launch activity focuses on new varieties to indicate novelty
- Graph 14: alcoholic drink launches, by launch type and low-/no-alcohol claims, 2022-25
- New varieties in 2025 target summer refreshment
- Strong share of low-/no-alcohol drinks make environmentally friendly package claims
- Graph 15: alcoholic drink launches, by selected claims and low-/no-alcohol claims, 2022-25
- Conscious packaging can lessen the environmental impact of production
- Organic claims can enhance low-/no-alcohol drinks’ health positioning
- Private label continues to be squeezed out of the low-/no-alcohol market
- Graph 16: launch share of low-/no-alcohol drinks, branded vs private-label, 2020-25
- Aperitif and liqueur innovation combines the old with the new
- Isotonic low-/no-alcohol drinks can appeal to active Germans
- Utilise fruit’s natural flavouring to boost low/no alternatives’ appeal
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Market drivers
- Alcoholic beverages’ CPI is relatively stable, yet finances restrict consumption
- Graph 17: consumer price index for alcoholic beverages, 2024-25
- Brewing industry in slight decline, yet alcohol-free consumption continues to grow
- Graph 18: number of breweries in operation and beer sales in m litres, 2014-24
- DGE recommends abstinence, which can help reduce alcohol-related incidents
- Expect healthy ageing desires…
- …to reduce the prominence of alcohol consumption
- Government opposition builds against supervised drinking
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
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