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German beverage market trends

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-01 19:22 UTC → 2026-08-01 19:23 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In July 2026 German wine producers reported dry‑style Qualitäts‑ and Prädikatsweine making up 53 % of the market, up from 40 % in 2010, while semi‑sweet and sweet wines continued to lose share. White wines remain dominant and rosé and red wines have contracted. Beer volumes have been declining overall, with total domestic beer volume falling 2.2 % year‑on‑year in the first half of 2026 – a loss of about 85 million litres. ~~Nevertheless,~~ June 2026 saw a modest rebound: overall beer sales rose 5.2 % YoY, ~~tax‑paying~~ taxable volume increased 5.7 % versus May, and exports grew 3.7 % month‑on‑month. Despite this monthly gain, the sector remains in a continued downturn, according to the German Brauer‑Bund. Non‑alcoholic beer is gaining ground. It accounted for roughly 11 % of the German beer market in July, up from just over 10 % earlier in the year, and grew about 7–8 % in volume. A YouGov survey of 2,119 adults (6‑8 July 2026) found that 16 % regularly drink non‑alcoholic beer, with the highest uptake after sport – 21 % of Generation Z and 19 % of Millennials. Only 8 % said they drink alcoholic beer in the same context, while 44 % never drink beer at all, a share higher among women (52 %) than men (36 %). Industry leaders view non‑alcoholic beer as a key growth driver as traditional beer volumes continue to decline. The latest June 2026 data reaffirm the same pattern: despite the half‑year volume drop, the 5.2 % sales increase and the 11 % market share for non‑alcoholic beer underscore a continued, though insufficient, offset to the structural decline of conventional beer.

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