Reducing alcohol intake is no longer wishful thinking in Belgium. Beer brewers have noticed a clear shift in the market. Alcohol free beers and non-alcoholic cocktails (termed mocktails) are becoming increasingly popular. The alcohol-free share of the market used to be very small but producers are now reporting strong growth. So, what are the reasons for this new trend?
For several years Tournée Minérale has been promoted in Belgium. After the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations people taking part agree to stay off alcoholic beverages for an entire month. Today this is leading to more and more people deciding to stop drinking all together. It’s no longer a month without alcohol. It becomes a permanent feature of people’s lives. If you’re not ready for that, some people decide just to lower alcohol intake during the rest of the year and to adopt habits started during Tournée Minérale month during the rest of the year too!
Since 2016 the market for alcohol free or low alcohol beers has increased by half. Special beers are recording the largest growth, while lagers still need to catch up.
Krishan Maudgal, director of the Belgian brewers’ federation, acknowledges that people are becoming increasingly focused on the way they deal with alcohol: “A lot has changed in society. People feel greater responsibility for their actions and what they drink. People are more conscious about the need for a healthy lifestyle and think about their lifestyle. Somebody gearing up for a triathlon, will more readily decide not to touch a drop of alcohol for three months!”
Krishan says that’s fine by him, but he worries positions that are possibly unnecessarily extreme have been adopted. He says the alcohol discussion has today become a very loaded public debate.
“Of course, you need to be very aware of the way you treat alcohol and alcohol abuse needs to be tackled. The general tone of the debate has clearly hardened. Above all the negative side of the debate sounds loud and clear. There are numerous reports in which alcohol is listed as a murderous weapon. You increasingly get the impression that people who drink alcohol should feel ashamed”.
The new trend towards less alcohol is also confirmed in the figures. The sale of lagers of the type of Jupiler is on the decrease, while the sale of special beers, brewed by a local brewer and with a distinctive taste has increased” says Roel Dekelver of supermarket chain Delhaize. “We’ve noticed an extremely big increase in the sale of alcohol-free beers. The share of alcohol-free cocktails too is on the rise. It’s not something we’re noticing only during the Tournée Minérale month, but during the entire year! The trend is less noticeable among wines, but there there are fewer offerings.”
Delhaize concedes that the share of alcohol-free beers, spirits and aperitifs remains relatively small, but it’s a segment that recorded a 16% growth last year.
“It shows there’s a clear trend. It’s quite recent, over the past 2 to 3 years. It used to be quite a niche market, but now all types of people are purchasing alcohol free. Consumers are deciding to consume less alcohol”.
Delhaize has also noticed the trend among people in their twenties, thirties and forties. “They are early adopters, who quickly took to this trend. In times gone by one person at the table would order an alcohol-free aperitif. Today, more and more often, it’s the entire table”.
Wijngemse Drankenhal, purveyors of alcoholic beverages to the general public in Antwerp Province for four generations now, has noticed a significant shift. “More and more alcohol free is being purchased. Brewers are jumping on the bandwagon” says Patrik Verbeeck. He estimates 8% of beer and aperitif sales are now alcohol free.
“They are becoming increasingly popular. Customers are taking a close look at their alcohol habits”.
This has many grounds: healthier living, joining in with a popular trend, but people also see the advantage when they need to drive.
Krishan Maudgal, director of the Belgian brewers’ federation, says people have been drinking less and less alcoholic beer for some time now. It’s estimated that consumption of alcoholic beers has been cut by 40% over the past decades. In recent years this historic reduction has been matched by an increase in consumption of alcohol free.
Krishan also points to the progress the industry has made in developing its product: “In times gone by alcohol free beer was a lager in which the alcohol had been allowed to evaporate”.
Lagers are more geared to quenching a person’s thirst than providing an interesting taste. The alcohol served as an engine for the aromas, but without any alcohol the result was a pretty empty, sticky drink tasting of grain.
This state of affairs is well behind us. In recent years incredible research and development have been undertaken. Two new techniques have entered the market. One filters alcohol out of the beer using membrane techniques. The other sought its inspiration in nature.
Krishan explains yeast cells that turn sugars into beer without producing alcohol have been discovered: “They also retain the aromas. The taste experience rivals that of alcoholic beer. Numerous brewers have adopted these techniques fuelling the growth in the alcohol free and low alcohol market. Bruges brewery Halve Maan now produces Sportzot in addition to its regular blond and dark Brugse Zot beer. You can also purchase zero alcohol versions of Leffe and Affligem!”
Krishan believes alcohol free beers are here to stay and will retain a sizeable market share for good. Still he doesn’t think alcoholic beer is set to disappear any day soon.
“Beer is part of our DNA and forms part of our collective history. In Belgium it’s been recognised as immaterial heritage by UNESCO, the UN’s culture and education agency. Alcohol free beers will continue to play a role in Belgium’s further development as a beer nation” Krishan concludes.