A beer mix usually refers to an

alcoholic beverage An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

which also includes one or more other ingredients; the actual

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

content is usually 40 to 70 per cent. Popular mix-ins include

cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imita ...

, lemon, or other fruit juices. Today, beer mixes are an established part of German drinking culture and are available in a wide range of flavours and varieties, including non-alcoholic versions. Though marketed primarily towards young adults, they are enjoyed by consumers of all ages.

History

Beer mixes have been available in Germany since the early 20th century. The “

Radler Shandy is beer or cider mixed with a lemon or a lemon-lime flavored beverage. The citrus beverage, often called lemonade, may or may not be carbonated. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste but are usually half lemonade ...

“ beer mix, which is still popular today, is seen as the pioneer of the market. The drink had its origins in the summer of 1922, when a

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

inn was so busy with cyclists that there was the threat of a beer shortage. In order to stretch the remaining beer supply,

lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using le ...

was added, creating the "Radler." Further variants, e.g. cola-beer as well as wheat beer mixes followed. Up until 1993, it was only permitted to sell freshly prepared beer mixes due to legal requirements.Cf. http://www.brauer-bund.de/bier-ist-genuss/biersorten-im-portraet/biermischgetraenke.html, Biermischgetränke setzen junge Akzente, 29.05.2015, 10:37 am. In 1995, the mid-sized German

Karlsberg Brewery Karlsberg () is one of the largest breweries in Germany; the Karlsberg Group also owns various other beer brands. It is called Karlsbräu outside of Germany to differentiate it from the Danish brewing company Carlsberg. History Established 1878 ...

Homburg (Saar) Homburg (; french: Hombourg, pfl, Humborch) is a town in Saarland, Germany and the administrative seat of the Saarpfalz district. With a population of 43,029 inhabitants (2022), it is the third largest town in the state. The city offers over 3 ...

was the first brewery to use an amendment to the beer tax law which enabled the production and sale of ready-mixed beer mixes in bottles or tins. "MiXery Beer + Cola + X” was therefore one of the first ready-mixed cola beer drinks. This innovation was initially met with considerable criticism from the beer industry, whereby the first competitors appeared on the market in 2001 and the market subsequently saw a continuous increase in sales volume. Further variants, which differed in the type of beer they contained as basis, followed. Schöfferhofer Grapefruit is hereby a pioneer in the wheat beer mixes and was launched on the market in 2007 by the Binding Brauerei Brewery. A further variant and innovation in the beer mix market followed in 2014 with the introduction of so-called "MiXery Beer-Cocktails" by the Karlsberg Brewery. These are available in the varieties

Caipirinha Caipirinha () is Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaça (sugarcane hard liquor), sugar, and lime. The drink is prepared by mixing the fruit and the sugar together, then adding the liquor. This can be made in a single large glass to be sha ...

Mojito Mojito (; ) is a traditional Cuban punch. The cocktail often consists of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime juice, soda water, and mint. Its combination of sweetness, citrus, and herbaceous mint flavors is ...

and Sex on the Beach.Cf. http://www.mixery.de/de/mixerybeercocktail , MiXery Beer-Cocktails, 03.06.2015, 09:38 am. Alongside the alcoholic beer mix segment which accounts for the majority of the market, the non-alcoholic sector is also becoming increasingly significant, which means that a growing number of alcohol-free beer mix products are also being launched on the market. The current leader of the German alcoholic beer mix market is still the MiXery brand with "MiXery Beer + Cola + X" followed by

Krombacher Krombacher Brauerei () is one of the largest privately owned breweries in Germany and ranks number 2 among Germany's best selling beers. History The brewery was founded on 4 February 1803 by Johannes Haas. His father Johann Eberhard Haas was ...

Radler, Oettinger Radler, Beck’s Green Lemon, Schöfferhofer Grapefruit and MiXery Nastrov Flavour iced blue.Cf. The Nielsen Company, 2015 Krombacher is the non-alcoholic beer mix leader.

Top 40 beer mix brands in German retail

Descending according to turnover.

References

{{Reflist Beer Cocktails with beer

History

Top 40 beer mix brands in German retail

See also

References