Australia’s alcohol-free beer sector is heating up, according to Coopers, which has reported surging sales growth for its international beer Holsten 0.0%.
Coopers says sales have risen by more than 20 per cent in the past 12 months and they look set to grow further as the product becomes more widely available through national liquor outlets.
Holsten 0.0% is brewed by international brewer Carlsberg and distributed nationally by Coopers. Coopers also brews and distributes the ultra-light beer Birell, which has an alcohol content of 0.5 per cent.
“There’s been a real shift as more people want to socialise with a beer, but without the alcohol content,” Coopers’ marketing manager brewing products, Scott Harris, says.
“More people are now including Holsten 0.0% in their weekly purchase, either to use it as a “spacer” between alcoholic drinks or to consume by itself.”
Recent decisions by major liquor retailers around Australia to position Holsten 0.0% in the beer section of the store instead of the no-alcohol section was also having a significant impact, Harris says.
According to Harris, the increase in sales of no alcohol beers in Australia is reflected elsewhere in the world. No alcohol beers, for instance, now make up to 13 per cent of total beer sales in some European countries.
“While Australia certainly isn’t there yet, we believe these products will become increasingly popular as they become more readily available,” Harris says.
