"Ranging from unexpectedly pleasant to excellent."

The city of Munich recently played host to the first ever "Freyheit Festival," an event dedicated to the growing trend of high-quality, alcohol-free drinks. Organised by Alexander Gottschalk, Christian Hiery, Moritz Zyrewitz, and Han Luu, the festival took place on September 6 at the Pine Apple Park (Alte Paketposthalle), and attracted a diverse audience.

Over 50 exhibitors set up their stands, offering visitors the chance to test over 150 alcohol-free products. Among the exhibitors was Maximilian Henkel from House of Natural Taste, who showcased a "Pink Spritz" made with pink grapefruit and Sicilian blood orange. Henkel's company, originally from the spirits industry, now specialises in creating natural aperitifs at Chiemsee.

One of the popular drinks on offer was the alcohol-free aperitif from Mondino, a product that most people drink with tonic. Tim Klein, from the bio aperitif Mondino from Traunstein, mentioned that their alcohol-free aperitif is based on organic ingredients and can be mixed well with soft drinks.

The demand for such drinks is evidently growing, with Benita Lobner, who comes from a small family winery, aiming to release an alcohol-free Grüner Veltliner in October. Lobner already has two alcohol-free wines in her portfolio. Weihenstephan, a renowned brewery, also recently introduced an alcohol-free Helles, a beer they have been working on for the last four years.

Visitors to the festival included a visitor who has been alcohol-free since New Year's Eve, who found the selection of alcohol-free drinks "exciting, from surprising to very good." Another visitor came to the festival to try an alcohol-free gin because he and his wife want to cut down on alcohol for health reasons. The festival also attracted a diverse crowd, with men sporting gray ponytails, young parents with strollers, friends, and couples in attendance.

By 2 pm, over 900 tickets had been sold, indicating a strong interest in the event. The organisers of the Freyheit Festival are pleased with the success of the event and are already looking forward to next year's festival.

In addition to the alcohol-free drinks, the festival also featured Kombucha, a drink made of tea, sugar, and yeast and bacterial cultures. Irina Zechadse and Brahm Vaccarella from Yo Booch offered handcrafted, traditionally fermented, unpasteurized, raw Kombucha at the festival.

As the trend for alcohol-free drinks continues to grow, it's clear that events like the Freyheit Festival are an important platform for showcasing the variety and quality of these products. Whether you're looking to cut down on alcohol, trying to live a healthier lifestyle, or simply want to try something new, the world of alcohol-free drinks is an exciting one, and the Freyheit Festival is a great place to dive in.