The German thirst for beer is waning – it’s not cool to be drunk any more | Nicholas Potter

21 comments

1. “According to the German federal statistical office, production of non-alcoholic beer (classified as containing less than 0.5% alcohol) increased by 74% between 2011 and 2021 and it is now drunk by some 46% of Germans. But this trend is also largely generational. The German Gen Z is less interested in alcohol than its parents: just 24% regularly drink beer, compared with 33% among Millennials or 35% among generation X. There is a similar drop-off with wine.

   This phenomenon is by no means confined to the beer tents of Oktoberfest, but also extends to Berlin’s notoriously hedonistic techno scene. Some clubs have even said that declining alcohol consumption is affecting their bottom line. Meanwhile, the queer club Schwuz now hosts a regular “sober party”.

   There are many reasons for this shift. Younger people are more aware and critical of alcoholism, functional or otherwise, having seen the damage that addiction has inflicted on generations before them. Many have a stronger focus on health and sport, being all too conscious of the negative effects and high calorie count of alcoholic drinks.“

2. It was never cool to be drunk, you were just too drunk to notice.

3. Hello, this is Bayern and it absolutely is NOT 😎🍺🥨

4. Millenials destroyed diamonds industry. Now Gen z is destroying the alchool one. Damn the new generations, they are canceling the boomers! 

5. It’s also because of prices…. between groceries and beer …. groceries wins out 

6. Because young people realise things like weed are not nearly as damaging as alcohol 🫶 fuck the alcohol industry

7. On the other hand, alcohol-free beer is on the rise. So beer is still very much popular in Germany and that won’t change soon

8. I always thought it’s related to the uncontrollable import of “experts” from the “closest” East. They don’t like alcohol much, music, culture, being on time, clean streets etc. Good luck to us all.

9. I have noticed this, with alcohol-free beer becoming the daytime beverage of choice for even middleaged and older Germans, too.

10. Pikachu Face

11. It’s not cool if everyone is doing it. If less people are doing then I reckon it’s now cooler.

12. Spoiler: being drunk was never cool, it’s just that a few more people are starting to realize that obvious fact 🤷

13. Who drinks because it’s “cool”?

14. As a german I can’t confirm. Still thirsty!

15. People are using other drugs now

16. We are coming from roughly 150L per person per year so about 0,4L per person every day. thats not consuming thats an societal problem.

17. Now it’s cool to smoke Zigaretten again 👍

    🤦🏽

18. It seems that life has gotten so good you don’t need to be drunk anymore to enjoy it.

19. They have weed now

20. Next you’re going to tell me Germans are giving up cash. What does it even mean to be German anymore?

21. I’ll drink to that!