Alcohol-free beer has been around for a very long time. Recently, its success has accelerated thanks to the new consumption trends driven by millennials.
By millennials we mean the population born after the 1980s, aged between 20 and 40. They want to give meaning to their consumption: to consume in a more ecological way, in a responsible way, etc. These consumers are also very concerned about their health. Indeed, 77% of French people believe that being healthy is their responsibility, which explains the craze for alcohol-free drinks. Many consumers are therefore turning to no-low alternatives. According to the Independent Brewers' Society study, by 2020, one in three young people had reduced their alcohol consumption and almost 25% said they had not consumed any alcoholic drinks in the previous year. The alcoholic beverage research firm ISWR predicts that non-alcoholic beer consumption will increase by almost 50% by 2024.
In order to win over these new consumers, beer producers are increasing their alcohol-free innovations. In 2015, Kronembourg launched its Tourtel Twist, a flavoured alcohol-free beer. Today, four out of ten alcohol-free beers are Tourtel. For Philippe Collinet, spokesman for Kronembourg, "this is one of the strongest launches on the beer market in recent years". Many other breweries have launched into this production: Brasserie de Bretagne and its Dremmwel and Ar-Men; Edmond and its range of 5 beers entirely without alcohol; or Heineken and its 1 million new buyers.
The challenge for brewers is therefore important: they must be present on the alcohol-free market!
However, the production of these alternatives can be difficult and complex. This is why B&S Tech supports brewers in all stages of their alcohol-free beer development project.