Relatively few people think it is embarrassing to drink alcohol-free beer in beer-drinking Germany compared to France, Italy, Poland and Spain, where wine and spirits are more popular.
Only 9% of Germans thought it was embarrassing to be caught in possession of an alcohol-free beer, compared to 14% of French, 19% of Italians, 15% of Spanish and 17% of Poles, according to the survey (see chart).
The majority of people did not think it was embarrassing in all five countries, and more than one-in-five had no opinion either way. There are currently no equivalent figures for English-speaking countries.
Discreetly drinking alcohol-free beer, or other lookalike drinks, can be a good way to avoid social pressure to drink alcohol. ■