Alcohol-free beer is gaining popularity, even at Oktoberfest

MUNICH (AP) — The head brewmaster for Weihenstephan, the world's oldest brewery, has a secret: He really likes alcohol-free beer.

Even though he's quick to say he obviously enjoys real beer more, Tobias Zollo says he savors alcohol-free beer when he's working or eating lunch. It has the same taste but fewer calories than a soft drink, he said, thanks to the brewery's process of evaporating the alcohol.

“You can't drink beer every day — unfortunately,” he joked last week at the Bavarian state brewery in the German town of Freising, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Munich.

Zollo isn't alone in his appreciation for the sober beverage. Alcohol-free beer has been gaining popularity in recent years as beer consumption shrinks.