Young Czechs prefer non-alcoholic beer!

In a country known for its beer tradition, the rise of non-alcoholic beer is turning heads. More Czechs are choosing alcohol-free options, driven by health concerns and changing habits, with breweries responding to the growing demand. Even in pubs, non-alcoholic beer is becoming a staple on tap.

"I decided to stop drinking alcohol two years ago, on August 14th. I know the exact date because since then I've been counting the days I haven't had alcohol," says Tomáš Hájek, a young man from Brno, the second city of Czechia.

Illustrative photo: Hana Slavická, Radio Prague International

This year, like last year, Tomáš spent New Year's Eve without alcohol. He began his abstinence after COVID. He realized he was drinking more at home than he wanted to. Now, he feels better:

"During the first two months, I lost about 8 kg. It also gave me much more energy and much better sleep."

He also enjoys alcohol-free alternatives, such as non-alcoholic champagne and non-alcoholic beer: "Non-alcoholic beers have definitely made great progress. There are many brands and beers that offer the same taste experience as alcoholic beer. What bothers me is that non-alcoholic beer costs more than alcoholic beer. I actually think it should be the other way around."

This trend is also confirmed by brewing industry data, as brewing expert Filip Vrána explains:

"In 2023, 1.4 million hectoliters of non-alcoholic beer were brewed, which represents a 9% year-on-year increase. But if we compare it to 2019, the growth is about one-third."

Illustrative photo: Hana Slavická, Radio Prague International

To put this into context, Czech breweries still produce over 20 million hectoliters of alcoholic beer every year, many times more than the alcohol-free variant. Nevrtheless, according to Filip Vrána, this is not just a passing fad. Breweries are responding to the behavior of the younger generation, which drinks less alcohol, like Jakub Harabiš, another young man from Brno.

"I didn't see any reason for it, so I would rather have to decide why to drink alcohol than why not to."

Some manufacturers concentrate on this trend only, like Matúš Kozina, the owner of a Slovak brewery that produces non-alcoholic beer exclusively.

"Generation Z is already starting this trend. They drink less alcohol and don't feel the need to have it in their lives every day or even once a week."

Kozina’s company approaches brewing differently than others. Chemists from the Technical University developed a new fermentation method that enhances the drink's flavor. This innovation has earned the brewery numerous awards, and recently, it unexpectedly won a German beer competition against traditional alcoholic beverages.

Illustrative photo: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels

"This means they didn’t differentiate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers, and we secured first place among alcoholic beers."

More and more pubs, including in Brno, now offer non-alcoholic beer, not just bottled but also on tap. Jiří Sojka, the owner of one such establishment, welcomes the trend. Out of ten taps, one is for non-alcoholic beer, and during the summer and autumn, it ranked third in sales.

"We have groups of men who come in, have a few beers in the evening, and then drive home. This is a trend we've observed over the past year or two."

Jiří Sojka also expects this trend – and therefore the production and consumption of non-alcoholic beer in the Czech Republic – to continue growing in the future.