Never before has so much alcohol-free beer been drunk as it is today. Dozens of varieties are available and growth rates are high. Up until a few years ago, breweries were almost ashamed of their alcohol-free beers – unfortunately often for good reason.
With the lowering of the blood alcohol limit, the alcohol-free beer “Birell” became interesting for drivers. The auto racer Clay Regazzoni pushed his way for the publicity.
“It’s quite acceptable if it’s drunk cold,” said Fritz Schoellhorn, the director and chairman of the Haldengut brewery, about his non-alcoholic beer, devoid of any euphoria. Even its inventor couldn’t have liked the brew. “Perplex”, as the product was called, was the first drink of its kind in Switzerland and was visionary.