Alcohol-free and low-ABV: the no/low menu that pays off

Why no/low matters now: the numbers

The change is measurable. According to the drug affinity study of Germany's Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG), only 25 percent of 18 to 25-year-olds in Germany drink alcohol at least once a week, a historic low. In a YouGov survey for the German fruit juice association, 25 percent of 16 to 26-year-olds said they drink mocktails regularly, up from 11 percent the year before. At the Skyline Bar 20up in Hamburg, alcohol-free drinks account for around 30 percent of cocktails sold, according to the bar manager, as the trade portal Tageskarte reported in October 2026.

• Beer: according to the German Federal Statistical Office, German breweries produced just over 616 million litres of alcohol-free beer in 2025, 6.5 percent more than the year before, while beer with alcohol declined.
• Austria: according to the annual report of the Austrian brewers' association, domestic output of alcohol-free beer rose by 6.1 percent in 2025 to almost 300,000 hectolitres, around 4 percent of domestic output, in a shrinking overall market.
• Guests in hospitality: in the Appinio survey commissioned by Lightspeed (January 2026, 1,000 people in Germany; figures as reported by the trade press, the original results are not publicly linked), 25.9 percent say they generally do not drink alcohol. The main reason for choosing alcohol-free is driving (46.2 percent), followed by health (34.3 percent).
• What gets ordered: alcohol-free beer (43.5 percent), homemade lemonades and classic soft drinks (41.1 percent each) and alcohol-free mixed drinks (38.8 percent).

The most important number for your costing is a different one, though: 54.9 percent of respondents often feel alcohol-free mixed drinks are “expensive lemonade”, and 84.2 percent care about creativity and taste. So guests will pay for alcohol-free drinks when they can tell there is craft in the glass. That is what this guide is about. The general basics of drinks costing, from recipe to pour cost, are covered in the guide to costing your drinks menu and cocktails.

Alcohol-free, 0.0% and low-ABV: what the terms mean

The terms on your menu should be accurate, because some guests avoid alcohol completely for health or religious reasons, others are pregnant or recovering alcoholics. If you write “alcohol-free”, you should know what is in the glass.

The range: from alcohol-free beer to signature mocktails

A good no/low line does not need 30 new bottles. What makes sense is a mix of products that sell without effort and your own drinks that make your bar unmistakable. Think in three tiers:

• Add low-ABV: vermouth tonic, sherry highball, a spritz with less bitter liqueur, sparkling wine cocktails or a beer cocktail. Low-ABV appeals to guests who want to join the party but end the evening clear-headed.
• Use what you have: syrups, juices and garnishes from your cocktail prep work for mocktails too. That way your stock barely grows and waste stays low.
• Few spirits: one or two 0% spirits are enough to start with. Expensive bottles that only turn over once a month tie up money; a look at stocktaking and shrinkage in the bar shows what sells.
• Restaurant: an alcohol-free food pairing with teas, juices and dealcoholised wines complements the wine pairing. Ideas are in the guide to the wine list and wine pairing.
• Club: what is quick sells: prepared mocktail batches, alcohol-free beer and two or three long drinks with a 0% base. More on planning club nights in the guide planning club nights.

Costing mocktails: cost of goods and a worked example

A mocktail is costed exactly like a cocktail: every ingredient gets a fixed quantity in cl, you work out the net purchase price per cl, add garnish and ice and divide the cost of goods by your target ratio. Only then is VAT added. In German hospitality, drinks are taxed at 19 percent: the reduced 7 percent rate for restaurant and catering services expressly excludes drinks (§ 12(2) no. 15 UStG). In Austria, drinks are taxed at the standard rate of 20 percent with few exceptions (§ 10 UStG 1994). As of November 2026.

Two things stand out. First, the alcohol-free gin and tonic is not cheaper to buy than the original: a 0.7-litre bottle of 0% spirit at 22 euros net costs around 0.31 euros per cl, roughly as much as a good gin. There is no alcohol duty on a 0% spirit, because in Germany and Austria it only applies to spirits above 1.2% vol., but production is more expensive and volumes are smaller. Second, a homemade mocktail has a very low cost of goods. If you cost it with the same ratio as a cocktail, you end up with a price that looks like lemonade and brings in few euros. The free drinks calculator for bars and hospitality works out the price per cl and per glass from the bottle price, serving size and target ratio for you.

Prices relative to alcoholic drinks

The question that occupies guests and teams most: may a drink without alcohol cost almost as much as one with? The answer depends on what is in the glass. Nobody expects cocktail prices for a lemonade. But a signature mocktail with homemade cordial, freshly squeezed juice, a nice glass and garnish takes just as much work as a cocktail and may be priced accordingly.

• Gross profit in euros instead of percent: in Austria, a gin and tonic at 11.30 euros gross with 2.35 euros cost of goods brings in around 7 euros gross profit. A mocktail with 1.15 euros cost of goods brings in around 6.35 euros at 9 euros gross, but only 4.60 euros at 6.90 euros.
• Clear price tiers: for example lemonades and spritzers at the low end, alcohol-free classics in the middle, signature mocktails one to three euros below the alcoholic signature drinks.
• Show value: list the ingredients on the menu, use the same glasses and garnish as for cocktails. In the Lightspeed survey, price is decisive for 75.6 percent, and 35.3 percent would order more often at a more attractive price: the price has to feel like craft.
• Pairing offers: an alcohol-free food pairing or a “0.0 flight” of three small drinks sells more than a single glass.

Placement on the menu: a section people actually read

On many menus, alcohol-free drinks sit right at the back between cola and mineral water. Anyone looking there finds nothing that sounds like a bar. Give your no/low line its own, clearly visible place.

Allergens apply to mocktails too, for example sulphites in dealcoholised wine, gluten in alcohol-free beer or nuts in orgeat. You can create a legend of the 14 major allergens for your menu with the allergen generator.

Team and service: selling without stigma

The best menu is of little use if the team only mixes alcohol-free drinks on request and with a raised eyebrow. Guests who do not drink alcohol do not want to have to explain why. A few rules help:

A simple incentive often works: present a new mocktail every month as the drink of the month and let the team help develop it. That makes the no/low line everyone's business, not a compulsory extra.

Promoting your no/low menu online

Guests who do not drink alcohol search specifically: “alcohol-free cocktails” plus the city, “mocktail bar near me”, or they ask an AI for a bar with a good alcohol-free menu. Only bars that show their drinks online as text can be found.