Beer mix
Beer mixes blend beer with mixers, rooted in German tradition.
A beer mix is an alcoholic drink that combines beer with one or more other ingredients, usually containing between 40 and 70 percent beer. It is mainly aimed at young adults, with common mixers like cola, lemon, and other fruit juices. These drinks are a well-established part of German drinking culture and come in many flavors and varieties, including alcohol-free options.
The practice of mixing beer with other beverages in Germany dates back to the early 1900s. The Radler, a beer and lemonade mix still popular today, is considered the original. It was created in the summer of 1922 when a Munich inn, crowded with cyclists, faced a beer shortage. To stretch the remaining beer, the innkeeper added lemonade, giving birth to the Radler. Other variants soon followed, such as cola-beer and wheat beer mixes. Until 1993, only freshly prepared beer mixes could be sold due to legal restrictions.
In 1995, the Karlsberg Brewery in Homburg (Saar) took advantage of a change in beer tax law to produce and sell pre-mixed beer mixes in bottles and cans. Their "MiXery Beer + Cola + X" was one of the first ready-made cola and beer drinks. This innovation initially faced strong criticism from the beer industry, but competitors entered the market in 2001, and sales steadily grew. New variants based on different types of beer appeared, including Schöfferhofer Grapefruit, a wheat beer mix launched in 2007 by the Binding Brauerei Brewery. In 2014, Karlsberg introduced "MiXery Beer-Cocktails" in flavors like Caipirinha, Mojito, and Sex on the Beach.
While alcoholic beer mixes make up most of the market, the non-alcoholic segment is also growing, with more alcohol-free products becoming available. The current market leader for alcoholic beer mixes in Germany is MiXery with "MiXery Beer + Cola + X," followed by Krombacher Radler, Oettinger Radler, Beck’s Green Lemon, Schöfferhofer Grapefruit, and MiXery Nastrov Flavour iced blue. Krombacher leads the non-alcoholic beer mix segment.
- Beer content range
- 40 to 70%
- Origin of radler
- Munich inn, summer of 1922
- First ready mixed beer mix launch
- 1995
- First brewery to produce ready mixed bee
- Karlsberg Brewery in Homburg (Saar)
- Year schoefferhofer grapefruit launched
- 2007
- Year mixery beer cocktails introduced
- 2014
- Current leader of german alcoholic beer
- MiXery brand with 'MiXery Beer + Cola + X'
Lore & Background
Beer mixes have been available in Germany since the early 20th century. The 'Radler' beer mix, still popular today, is seen as the pioneer of the market. It originated in the summer of 1922, when a Munich inn was so busy with cyclists that there was the threat of a beer shortage; to stretch the remaining beer supply, lemonade was added, creating the Radler. Further variants followed, such as cola-beer and wheat beer mixes. Up until 1993, it was only permitted to sell freshly prepared beer mixes due to legal requirements.
In 1995, the mid-sized German Karlsberg Brewery in Homburg (Saar) 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 and beer drinks. This innovation was initially met with considerable criticism from the beer industry, but the first competitors appeared on the market in 2001 and the market subsequently saw a continuous increase in sales volume.
Further variants, differing in the type of beer they contained as base, followed. Schöfferhofer Grapefruit is a pioneer in wheat beer mixes and was launched in 2007 by the Binding Brauerei Brewery. A further variant and innovation followed in 2014 with the introduction of so-called 'MiXery Beer-Cocktails' by the Karlsberg Brewery, available in the varieties Caipirinha, Mojito and Sex on the Beach. Alongside the alcoholic beer mix segment, which accounts for the majority of the market, the non-alcoholic sector is also increasing, with a growing number of alcohol-free beer mix products available.
Reader's Guide
Beer mixes hold a notable place in German drinking culture, having been established since the early 20th century. The Radler, originating in 1922 from a practical solution to a beer shortage at a Munich inn, set the stage for a market that would later expand into numerous variants. The legal shift in 1993, followed by the 1995 amendment to the beer tax law, allowed the Karlsberg Brewery to pioneer ready-mixed beer mixes in bottles and tins, a move initially criticized by the beer industry. Despite this, competitors emerged by 2001, and sales volume grew continuously. The market saw further diversification with wheat beer mixes like Schöfferhofer Grapefruit in 2007 and beer cocktails in 2014. The alcoholic segment remains dominant, but the non-alcoholic sector is growing. The current market leader in alcoholic beer mixes is the MiXery brand with 'MiXery Beer + Cola + X', followed by Krombacher Radler, Oettinger Radler, Beck’s Green Lemon, Schöfferhofer Grapefruit, and MiXery Nastrov Flavour iced blue. Krombacher leads the non-alcoholic beer mix segment. The top 40 beer mix brands in German retail are listed descending according to turnover.
Did You Know?
- The Radler beer mix originated in the summer of 1922 at a Munich inn to stretch beer supply for cyclists.
- The Karlsberg Brewery launched the first ready-mixed cola-beer drink, 'MiXery Beer + Cola + X', in 1995.
- Schöfferhofer Grapefruit, a pioneer wheat beer mix, was launched in 2007 by the Binding Brauerei Brewery.
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