subject: Beer The New Sports Drink? [print this page] Heres something from the Beertaps.com WTF file: Beer replacing Gatorade for athletes. Before you put on your running shoes, hold on. This brew is supposedly non-alcoholic. Please return to your couches.
This newest marketing brainstorm comes from Erdinger Alkoholfrei, the Bavarian brewer. They were at the Berlin marathon at the end of September, 2012.
As a sponsor and loyal partner of the Berlin Marathon, the Erdinger Brewery is at the start. Equipped with more than 60,000 bottles of alcohol ERDINGER welcomes all finishers of the skaters race they write on their blog.
The maker of the sport-suds says that the beer is full of vitamins. Obviously, it is carb-rich, promoted as a beverage that athletes can drink without getting the shakes from an energy drink or the whirl from a regular beer.
This gold-colored stuff is supposedly alcohol-free. Thats a little misleading. Alkoholfrei still has less than 0.5% alcohol. Sorry Maine (and a few other states), people under 21 arent allowed to enjoy this lovely excuse for a beer.
Hows this for a pitch? Peeled from the brewers Internet site:
Whether at work, before driving or after sports, there are certain occasions where it is wiser to avoid alcohol. For those who don't want to miss out on the delicious taste of wheat beer, though, the solution is Erdinger Weissbier 'non-alcoholic'. It is brewed with the customary care and experience gained from over 125 years of brewing tradition and in accordance with the highest quality standards.
Erdinger's master brewers have succeeded in retaining the aromatic, full-bodied Erdinger character. It is this unique flavor which has spread the fame of Erdinger Weissbru far beyond the borders of Germany.
Erdinger Weissbier 'non-alcoholic' thus represents a further top product in the Erdinger range and a genuine alternative to its other specialty wheat beers.
Perhaps the reason for this wacky marketing concept is because sales of non-alcoholic beer have been sliding since the late 90s. Erdinger is already on-the-shelves in 45 of the states in America. Expect to see ads in the not too distant future targeting this near-beer. The company plans to torque-up their commercial efforts to focus on Alkoholfrei.
This stuff will set you back slightly from its sports drink competition. Not much, though. Youll be able to snatch-up a sixer for around ten-bucks.
Incidentally, while this marketing scheme will be new to the U.S., the brewers have been plugging it elsewhere as a sports drink since 2001.
