Made from four natural ingredients: 7.500 beer brands

On German Beer Day, the Brewers' Association celebrates the 510-year-old tradition of the Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law). Pilsner remains the most popular beer, but non-alcoholic varieties are rapidly gaining ground.

Water, malt, hops, and yeast: these are the four natural ingredients used to brew beer in Germany. "For 510 years, the German Purity Law, enacted in 1516, has stood for quality, variety, and craftsmanship," writes the German Brewers' Association (DBB) on the occasion of German Beer Day on April 23.

Approximately 1.400 German breweries produce more than 7.500 beer brands, including a growing number of non-alcoholic beers. As early as 2020, "artisanal brewing" was added to the list of intangible cultural heritage by the German UNESCO Commission.

Pilsner remains at the top

As in many European countries, sales of alcoholic beer are also declining in Germany, falling by 5,8 percent to around 6,4 billion liters in 2025. 

Non-alcoholic beer is a success story: around 750 million liters were produced in 2025, an increase of 7,6 percent compared to the previous year. Production has more than doubled in the past two decades.

You might also be interested in:

Panorama

The new beer ambassador is Alois Rainer from the CSU.

Panorama

Reforestation of forests to preserve drinking water

Craft policy

Saarland Monument Preservation Prize launches

"Non-alcoholic beers are no longer a niche product, but a key growth driver for our industry," says Christian Weber , President of the German Brewers' Association and the European umbrella organization The Brewers of Europe. "More and more breweries are also finding success with soft drinks."

Germany is a leader in non-alcoholic beers.

Non-alcoholic beers rank third in popularity among Germans . According to the German Brewers' Association (DBB), non-alcoholic beers and non-alcoholic beer mixes account for around eleven percent of total beer consumption. Germany is the leading producer of non-alcoholic beers in Europe.

Pilsner remains the market leader with almost 50 percent market share. Light beers come in second with about twelve percent market share. They are particularly popular in southern Germany.

Source: Brewers' Association

DHB now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!