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Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo poses behind non alcoholic beer at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo fills beer at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo gestures during an interview with the Associated Press at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo checks the output at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo checks the output at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo poses behind non alcoholic beer at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

By STEFANIE DAZIO, Associated Press

MUNICH (AP) — Tobias Zollo, the head brewmaster at Weihenstephan, which holds the title of the world’s oldest brewery, harbors a surprising preference: he is fond of alcohol-free beer.

While he emphasizes his greater affection for traditional beer, Zollo appreciates the non-alcoholic variant during work or while having lunch. He notes that it offers the familiar taste of beer but with fewer calories than a typical soft drink, a benefit arising from the brewery’s method of removing the alcohol through evaporation.

“It’s not feasible to consume beer every day — sadly,” he humorously remarked last week at the Bavarian state brewery located in Freising, roughly 30 kilometers north of Munich.

Zollo’s liking for non-alcoholic beer is part of a broader trend, as this variety has been increasingly embraced in recent times amidst a general decline in beer consumption.

At Weihenstephan, founded in 1040 by Benedictine monks, non-alcoholic versions of their staple wheat beer and lager now comprise 10% of their total production. This shift in production that began in the 1990s echoes wider trends in Germany’s beer industry.

“Unfortunately, as a brewer, I must say that people are drinking less beer,” Zollo commented on Friday, just a day before Oktoberfest kicked off. “If they can enjoy the distinct crisp and fresh flavor of Weihenstephan beers in a non-alcoholic form, we are eager to provide that choice.”

Even at Oktoberfest, the immensely popular global celebration of beer, patrons can find non-alcoholic beer as an option on the menu.

Non-alcoholic beer is available in all but two of the 18 large tents over the festival’s 16-day span. This alcohol-free option costs the same as its alcoholic counterpart, pricing between 13.60 and 15.30 euros ($15.12 and $17.01) for a 1-liter mug (33 fluid ounces), enabling attendees to enjoy without the worry of a hangover.

“For people who don’t like to drink alcohol and want to enjoy the Oktoberfest as well, I think it’s a good option,” Mikael Caselitz, 24, of Munich said Saturday inside one of the tents. “Sometimes people feel like they have more fun with alcohol, which is not a good thing because you can also have fun without alcohol.”

He added: “If you want to come and drink alcohol-free beer, nobody will judge you.”

This year marked the first time an alcohol-free beer garden opened in Munich. “Die Null,” which means “the zero” in German, served non-alcoholic beer, mocktails and other alcohol-free drinks near the city’s main train station this summer but was scheduled to close a few day before Oktoberfest opened.

Walter König, managing director of the Society of Hop Research north of Munich, said researchers have had to breed special hops varieties for alcohol-free beer. If brewers use the typical hops for alcohol-free beer, the distinct aroma gets lost when the alcohol is reduced during the brewing process.

But customers don’t care about that, König mentioned on Friday while getting ready for Oktoberfest.

“They only want to know that what they are tasting is as good as traditional beers with alcohol,” he stated.