The “zero alcohol” version of a major beer brand was chosen to sponsor the Olympic Games, a sign of the craze for this new type of consumption.more responsible», in which all the brewers have decided to invest.
The “Corona Cero” (the Spanish “zero”) produced by the global giant AB InBev will be the “first sponsor beer» of the Olympic Games, for the 2024 edition this summer in Paris and until 2028, according to a partnership concluded at the start of the year with the International Olympic Committee.
AB InBev has not revealed the amount of its investment or the targeted sales objectives thanks to the unprecedented visibility that the operation will give to this flagship brand of the group, which also produces, among others, Stella Artois, Budweiser and Leffe.
Corona Cero will be manufactured and bottled in particular in the mega-factory in Louvain (central Belgium), where the Belgian-Brazilian group also has its head office. The production of this brand “will double in 2024 compared to 2023», According to a spokesperson.
“Alcohol-free or low-alcoholic, all brewers are doing it», Explains Krishan Maudgal, director of the federation of Belgian Brewers.
Including therefore the multiple brands established in Belgium, whose beer culture has been classified as an intangible heritage by Unesco, a country renowned throughout the world for its abbey beers and other special beers with a high alcohol content.
“Twenty or thirty years ago it was more about increasing the alcohol level, now we have reversed the trend, we are lowering it», continues Mr. Maudgal. Against a backdrop of decline in beer consumption – a 40% drop in twenty years in Belgium – according to him, this is “listen to the market» and to adapt to consumption habits that have become “healthier and more responsible“.
“Drink better, drink less… This trend among consumers in favor of moderation and well-being can be seen everywhere. We must therefore give them the choice» and diversify the offer, underlines Andres Penate, one of the vice-presidents of AB InBev, who came on Tuesday to present the “Corona Cero” in Louvain.
Better controlled “de-alcoholization”
On this occasion, the number one in the sector placed great emphasis on the evolution of “dealcoholization» of beer, which today allow the aromas of the beverage to be much better preserved. An opinion shared by the experts.
According to the specialized institute IWSR, the market for non-alcoholic or low-alcoholic drinks (in the wine, beer, cider, spirits category) today exceeds 13 billion dollars worldwide. And beer is by far the favorite product of “alcohol-free” fans.
In Europe alone, non-alcoholic beer is estimated to be worth $3 billion, and its sales continue to grow, with Spain and Germany leading the way.
In France, “consumer appeal has been growing for five to ten years and it is now a fundamental trend», argues Magali Filhue, general delegate of Brasseurs de France, stressing that sales represent around 5% of the mass distribution beer market.
From 1 or 2% to 7% on average depending on the geographic area, the niche is still very much a minority for the sector. But it offers a reason for hope in this tormented period that the sector is going through.
Health crisis, energy crisis, inflation of raw materials, etc.: brewers have been hit hard in recent years, particularly in 2023 with the drop in consumer purchasing power. Last year AB InBev saw its net profit fall by 6%, affected by a decline in the volumes of beers sold, particularly in the United States.
For its part, number two, the Dutch Heineken, reported this week on prospects “difficult and uncertain» for its year 2024, while its sales last year also suffered from the context of high inflation.
