BRAU UNION, a consortium of eight breweries that together produce roughly half of the beer consumed in Austria, has reported a 3.3% increase in sales of alcohol-free products for 2012.
The Union, which is part of the Heineken Group, produces nearly 4.8 million hectoliters of beer in a country where the average Austrian drinks 107.7 litres a year. According to Brau Union CEO, Markus Liebl, much of this growth has come from the rising popularity of alcohol-free beers such as Edelweiss and Gosser among cyclists -- who make up 10% of the market -- resulting in sales worth 643.9 million euros in 2012.
As overall beer sales remain stagnant, the Union is seeking to change drinking habits at lunch-time away from water and soft drinks to alcohol-free beers. Liebl believes that non-alcoholic wheat beers will be a key factor in increased sales of brew-based alcohol-free drinks which are expected to double in 2013.
Source: http://www.nachrichten.at/nachrichten/wirtschaft/Alkoholfrei-und-Radler-lassen-Brau-Union-wachsen;art15,1078729
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