Netherlands: Non-alcoholic beer is becoming more and more popular

Dutch non-alcoholic beer is becoming more and more popular. The Brouwers Trade Association of the Netherlands reported that sales of non-alcoholic beverages increased by 32% in 2018, more than in previous years. For every twenty bottles of beer sold, one bottle is non-alcoholic. Sales of non-alcoholic beverages increased by 18% in 2016 and 25% in 2017. Non-alcoholic beer has sold more than five times since 2010.

"You may think that its sales growth is relatively stable," Nederlandse Brouwers'Cees-Jan Adema said. "But in fact it's growing very fast."

Other specialty beers are becoming more and more popular, with consumption increasing by more than 10%. "An increasing number of flavors and different alcohol levels can be chosen as important drivers of this growth. In addition, it is fashionable to combine food with different types of beer, and specialty beer is especially suitable. Adema said. Sales of ordinary beer remained almost unchanged, increasing by 0.3%. Of all beers, ordinary beer still accounts for a larger share of 81%. Characteristic beer accounted for 11% of the market share, non-alcoholic beer accounted for 5%, and beer mixture accounted for 3%. Over 1.2 million litres of beer were sold in the Netherlands in 2018. Compared with the same period in 2017, sales increased by 2.8%.