Beer Surpassed Wine in France, But the Real Change is in the Non-Alcoholic Segment

2025 marked a significant threshold in France, a country synonymous with wine. Annual beer consumption in the country reached 22.1 million hectoliters, while wine consumption remained at 22 million hectoliters. Thus, for the first time, beer surpassed wine in total beverage volume.

However, interpreting this scenario as "French consumers have switched from wine to beer" would be misleading.

According to data from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), France's wine consumption in 2025 fell to 22 million hectoliters. Industry data reported by Drinks International shows that beer consumption during the same period was 22.1 million hectoliters. The difference is only around 100,000 hectoliters. More importantly, consumer research indicates a trend towards more moderate consumption in both beer and wine categories.

Therefore, the story centers more on a broader transformation in France's beverage culture than on beer's sudden rise.

Wine is Still Strong, but Consumption has Long Been Declining

France continues to be one of the largest wine markets in the world. According to OIV's 2025 data, the country ranks second globally with 22 million hectoliters of consumption, following the USA. Per capita consumption for those aged 15 and over is approximately 39.7 liters.

Despite this, the long-term trend is downward.

In 2025, France's wine consumption declined by about 3.2% compared to the previous year, continuing the downward trend seen in recent years. This change is evaluated in conjunction with factors such as the rise of more casual consumption habits, changes in meal structures, and younger consumers drinking alcohol less frequently.

The 2026 Sowine Barometer reported by Drinks International also shows that the cultural significance of wine has not disappeared: 52% of participants still define wine as one of their favorite beverages, and 77% say they consume wine at least once a year. However, this second figure is three points lower than the previous year.

Thus, the level of 22 million hectoliters should be interpreted as one of the final stages of a consumption transformation spanning decades rather than a category collapse.

The Advantage of Beer is More Visible in the Non-Alcoholic Segment

The most striking difference emerges in low and non-alcoholic beverages.

According to Sowine data reported by Drinks International, 60% of those consuming low/no-alcohol products drink non-alcoholic beer. The same figure for non-alcoholic wine is 24%.

Data from Brasseurs de France supports this. Non-alcoholic beer grew by 11.5% in volume in the large retail channel in 2025, reaching about 6% of total beer volume. In a sector survey conducted in January 2026, 40% of participating beer producers reported currently producing non-alcoholic beer, while 30% indicated they were developing projects in this area.

These figures create a significant distinction: the beer category is not only trying to grow with traditional alcoholic products. It can also respond to moments when consumption is reduced or entirely non-alcoholic with a broader product portfolio.

The wine industry is also investing in non-alcoholic and low-alcohol products; however, the beer category has diversified its products earlier in this area and has created a broader set of options that consumers are accustomed to. Industry representatives quoted in Drinks International also state that non-alcoholic beer has created a more mature market in terms of product quality, variety, and horeca visibility.

Is the Beer Sector Growing? It's Not That Simple

The headline "Beer Surpassed Wine" may give the impression that the French beer sector is growing rapidly. However, the sector's own figures show a more complex picture.

According to Brasseurs de France, while beer volume for home consumption increased by 1.2% in 2025, volume in the horeca channel declined by 1.5%. Although the beer sector has a broad production base with 2,500 producers, cost pressures continue. Throughout 2025, 209 beer producers closed while 213 new producers started operations.

This means that while beer has surpassed wine, it cannot be said that the economic conditions for beer producers have automatically improved.

Energy, water, packaging, taxes, and other production costs are particularly pressuring small businesses. Brasseurs de France states that 96% of the sector consists of small and medium-sized enterprises.

This situation is significant from a horeca perspective: category share and business profitability are not the same thing.

What Changes Could Be Made to Restaurant and Bar Menus?

The transformation in France signals important insights for restaurant and bar operators regarding how beverage menus are designed.

In the traditional model, non-alcoholic options were often seen as a complementary section alongside alcoholic products. With the growth of the low/no segment, these products are creating a separate consumption occasion.

For a business, this means that it is not just about "adding non-alcoholic beer."

The serving temperature of the product group, glass selection, menu positioning, food pairing, and how the service staff describes the product also gain importance. When non-alcoholic beverages are presented to customers as "the missing version of alcoholic drinks," the price perception may weaken. However, when described with their own aroma, production, and pairing characteristics, they can transform into an independent category.

The same applies to low-alcohol wines, kombucha, fermented beverages, and non-alcoholic aperitifs aimed at adult consumers.

Lower Alcohol Preference Doesn't Have to Mean Revenue Loss for Horeca

A consumer's choice to drink less alcohol does not automatically mean that bars and restaurants will earn less beverage revenue.

The critical issue here is product mix.

Well-developed non-alcoholic beer, premium soda, gastronomic mocktails, or low-alcohol beverage options can keep the customer in the paid beverage category instead of completely switching to water.

One of the important aspects of the beer data in France is this: the category has begun to meet the consumer's demand for moderation through product innovation.

Data from Brasseurs de France shows that non-alcoholic beer grew by 11.5% in large retail in 2025, while the traditional beer market remained generally stagnant.

Therefore, the new growth area may not be selling more alcohol but developing products suitable for more consumption occasions.

What Does This Mean for the Turkish Market?

The beverage culture, regulations, and consumption structure of France and Turkey are different from each other. Therefore, it would not be accurate to directly transfer the volume changes in France to Turkey.

Nevertheless, there is a practical lesson for horeca businesses: instead of managing alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage menus as two separate worlds, evaluate the different consumption preferences of customers within the same revenue management framework.

At a table, some guests may prefer alcoholic beer or wine while others may request non-alcoholic options. If a business only offers classic soft drinks, it may lose a portion of the potential per capita spending.

Especially for hotel bars, restaurants, and gastronomy-focused businesses, the conscious positioning of non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic cocktails, and adult beverages suitable for food pairing on the menu may become increasingly important in the coming period.

Stafflink's Perspective

It is possible to see the beer surpassing wine by a difference of 0.1 million hectoliters as a historical symbol in France. However, for businesses, the real data is not this ranking.

The more significant change is the consumer's redefinition of their relationship with alcoholic beverages.

Brasseurs de France's non-alcoholic beer data suggests that the growth opportunity for the sector may lie in developing products for lower-alcohol or non-alcoholic consumption occasions rather than "selling more beer."

In our view, the lesson for restaurant and bar businesses is not to reduce the wine shelf and increase the variety of beer. It is more meaningful to rethink the menu through consumption occasions rather than the "beer-wine" competition.

Lunch, customers who will drive, business meetings, long dinners, or guests who prefer not to consume alcohol have different needs. Businesses that can offer quality and appropriately priced beverages for each of these needs can manage beverage revenue more healthily, even as alcohol consumption declines.