Alcohol-free beer captures the mood of the moment

Sales of beer from Bavarian breweries fell in the first half of 2009 by 4.1% but over the same period sales of alcohol-free beer rose by 9%. In Bavaria, of all places, the home of beer! Are we seeing a kind of cultural revolution? Well, yes, in a way, because alcohol-free beer reflects the current zeitgeist and it is also the only bitter-tasting sports drink.

Alcohol-free beer is low in calories, isotonic, has an almost perfect spectrum of complex sport sugars, amino acids and minerals, and is more than 90% pure water - from a sportsperson’s point of view, it is the ideal drink for regeneration and rehydration. The only thing to watch is the high potassium content, which can have a diuretic effect if sodium intake is too low. So, a salty pretzel with an alcohol-free beer is a great way to unwind after an energetic training session or competition. The same is true for other sports drinks too - a pinch of salt in the drinking bottle is a good idea and an important point.

But there are other reasons why alcohol-free beer is recommended as a sports drink: it is kind to the stomach and has a comparatively high pH value combined with a moderate carbonic acid content. Then there’s the hop itself, of course, which has a relaxing and therefore restorative effect. And not least, bitter beverages can be consumed in higher quantities. All of this supports the actual main purpose of a sports drink - to provide the body with water and nutrients.

There are two ways of producing these sporting wonders: one is to remove the alcohol from the fermented beer. For this, distillation or membrane processes are used that work at a low temperature. This method achieves beers which have zero% alcohol. The second way is interrupted fermentation, in which the brewer only allows the beer to reach the minimum permissible quantity of alcohol.

Whatever production method is used, however, one thing is always clear: no alcohol-free beer can ever taste just like the original with alcohol. But then again, why should it, because it isn’t trying to just be a copy but a unique product in its own right. It is the only bitter alternative in the whole spectrum of sweet sports and soft drinks.