Less beer, more water
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Brewery "Landskron" in Görlitz
(© picture-alliance/ dpa)
The average German drinks some 115 litres of beer a year. It may sound excessive, yet drinking German beer has its health benefits: it is high in isofavones, calcium, magnesium and B vitamins, making it one of the healthiest drinks overall.
The European Parliament recognizes beer from Germany as being a “traditional foodstuff”, a label only awarded to a very few forms of nourishment. This is thanks to the famous “Purity Law” that only allows the use of certain natural ingredients in beer. This means that even today the basics of all German beers are hops, malt, water and yeast. In addition to large breweries, smaller traditional regional breweries have a place in the hearts of beer drinkers. These make up 80 percent of the adult population in Germany. They can chose between 5,000 different brands produced by 1,284 breweries: a world record.
Nonetheless, beer consumption in Germany is dwindling all the time, from 133 liters a year in 1994 to just 112 liters per person today.
On the other hand, the wellness boom has triggered a bubble in, among other things, mineral water. Over the last 30 years the Germans have increased the amount of mineral water they drink by a factor of ten to 132 liters each, putting them in the top group worldwide. More than 500 types of mineral water gush from 223 sources.
source: Facts about Germany
