Alcohol-Free Beer Garden Opens in Germany
Beer gardens are an important part of German culture — especially in the region of Bavaria, birthplace of the beer garden and home of the world-famous Oktoberfest.
Munich, the Bavarian capital, has over 100 beer gardens, and a new one has just opened near the city's main train station.
But it's a bit different from other beer gardens. It doesn't serve alcohol.
Die Null — which means "The Zero" — opened on July 18, serving only nonalcoholic drinks, including mocktails, juices and nonalcoholic beers.
The area has developed a bad reputation in recent years because of excessive alcohol and drug use, so the council hopes the bar will help change that. The project is also being supported by several local businesses.
It is hoped that Die Null will be a place where people can come together to socialize and enjoy live music and other cultural events. People can also bring their own food into the bar.
Florian Schönhofer, one of the bar's owners, told German newspaper Die Zeit that the point isn't to stop people from drinking alcohol, but to show that alcohol isn't always needed to have fun.
While Germany has always had a strong beer-drinking reputation, more and more people have been moving away from alcohol in recent years.
According to government data, beer sales dropped by 4.2% in 2023 — and they were 11.3% lower than in 2013.
Nonalcoholic beers are becoming more popular, with more than 700 different varieties available in the country, according to the German Brewing Association.
Die Null will be open until September 15, a week before Oktoberfest begins.
