Trendy up-and-comers: wine and aperitif in second and third place among German summer drinks hits

Summer, sun, joie de vivre: in the months from May to September, moments of enjoyment outdoors become a natural part of the attitude to life in Germany as well - in public places, in parks or in outdoor restaurants. Civey was commissioned by Rotkäppchen-Mumm to find out what Germans prefer to drink there.

When asked about the Germans' favourite summer drinks in 2023, wine (36 percent) came in second after beer (42 percent). At the top of the list of mixed drinks are aperitifs and spritzes with 17 percent, while cocktails (12 percent) and long drinks (8 percent) take fourth and fifth place. A notable 28 percent of Germans very or rather often opt for the non-alcoholic version of a summer drink. Another 22 percent occasionally.

"The current rosé trend plays into the top placement of wine; the newcomer aperitif was already able to achieve considerable buyer gains in the gastronomy sector in 2022. This trend will consolidate in summer 2023," says Tobias Richter, Director Strategic Marketing & Digital at Rotkäppchen-Mumm. "The same applies to the demand for non-alcoholic alternatives. Although the segment is still at a low level, it is showing high growth and has enormous potential, especially in the younger target groups," Richter adds.

For the Rotkäppchen-Mumm Group, the change in the culture of enjoyment has long been part of product planning. With a 25.4% market share, it is the leader in the non-alcoholic segment. Sparkling wine is by far the strongest category alongside wine and spirits.

Summer prospects
Overall, the summer of 2023 promises to be enjoyable: Consumption in gastronomy has already returned to pre-Corona levels in 2022, with peaks in the months of May to August and without significant possible inflationary influences. Beyond gastronomy, aperitifs were already among the winners in consumer favour in 2022. Current figures from the retail trade also indicate increases in sales of rosé wine (1.2 percent) and sparkling wine (2.8 percent).

In line with the current preferences of consumers, Rotkäppchen-Mumm will continue to set the tone in 2023 with suitable new products: "With CANONITA de Mallorca or Stork Club Rosé Rye, the world's first whiskey aperitif, we are keeping an eye on current market needs and developments. Aperitif culture can also be enjoyed in the garden, on the balcony or in the park," Tobias Richter knows.

Survey: the subtle differences
The number one favourite drink of women is wine (41 percent). While men clearly concentrate on two favourites, namely beer (51 percent) and wine (33 percent), the preferences among female connoisseurs are less pronounced: Beer (29 percent), Aperitif/Spritz (22 percent) and Cocktails (19 percent). Sparkling wine not only plays an indirect role for women as an ingredient in the Spritz category, it lands in the top five itself with 17 percent. In the GenZ, the 18 to 29-year-olds, the most popular summer drinks are cocktails.

"We are seeing a trend towards a more 'conscious' Mediterranean lifestyle," explains Tobias Richter. "Enjoying a light drink with a small snack also during the day as part of an aperitif culture, where 'low' or 'no alcohol' variants play an increasingly important role." Because, of course, it remains important that value is placed on responsible consumption at all times."