Germany: Paulaner expands portfolio with beer mixes, cocktails, and Cola Zero
The Paulaner Brauerei Gruppe is accelerating its transformation from a traditional brewery into a diversified beverage company with three product launches planned for early 2027. The Munich-based group has officially announced its entry into the ready-todrink (RTD) cocktail market with the independent brand Bella Bavaria. Separately, it is expanding its non-alcoholic soft drink portfolio with Paulaner Cola Zero and reportedly preparing a new alcohol-free wheat beer mix range under the brand Paulaner Pauli, Inside.Beer reported on October 30.
Together, the innovations are intended to expand the company's presence beyond conventional beer categories and capitalize on changing consumer preferences. Bella Bavaria will enter the German market in March 2027 with three popular cocktail varieties: Hugo (5% ABV), Limoncello Spritz (10% ABV), and Paloma (10% ABV). All three products will be sold in 0.33-liter cans through supermarkets and beverage retailers nationwide. The brand combines Bavarian heritage with Mediterranean aperitif culture, reflecting Munich's reputation as Italy's northernmost city. According to the company, the recipes were developed over more than a year in cooperation with experienced bartenders, supported by extensive consumer testing.
With this launch, Paulaner is targeting one of the fastest-growing categories in Germany's alcoholic beverage market. According to industry estimates cited by the brewery, RTD sales recently increased by approximately 25%, significantly outperforming traditional alcoholic drinks. However, the company did not specify the reference period or the underlying market data. CEO Jцrg Biebernick regards the category as an opportunity to reach additional consumer groups and develop drinking occasions beyond beer. Although beer and carbonated soft drinks remain the group's core business, Paulaner intends to develop additional revenue streams through new beverage categories.
The second officially confirmed innovation is Paulaner Cola Zero, scheduled for nationwide introduction in January 2027 through retail outlets and the hospitality sector. The sugar-free drink follows the launch of Paulaner Cola in spring 2026, which, according to the company, climbed to second place in Germany's canned cola market within just a few months. Paulaner has not disclosed independent sales figures supporting this ranking. The new zero-sugar variant will be supported by a nationwide advertising campaign.
The commercial potential is considerable. According to figures cited by Paulaner, zero sugar products already account for approximately 36% of Germany's cola market and continue to record double-digit growth rates. About one-third of German households reportedly purchase sugar-free cola. The brewery also claims that its new product ranked first in an externally conducted blind taste test in July 2026, outperforming several established competitors, including the market leader. However, detailed information about the methodology, sample size and products tested has not been published.
The Cola Zero launch also coincides with a politically sensitive debate over Germany's proposed sugar tax. In an interview reported by CHIP and Lebensmittel Zeitung, Biebernick criticized government intervention in beverage formulation, arguing that consumer demand already provides sufficient incentives for manufacturers to develop products containing less sugar. He maintained that Paulaner had been working on sugar free and sugar-reduced beverages for years without the need for government-imposed tax requirements.
His comments come after the German Federal Cabinet approved plans on October 14, 2026, to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages from July 2027. The proposed legislation would impose levies based on sugar content while exempting drinks sweetened with sugar substitutes and certain alcohol-free beverage categories. The measure still requires parliamentary approval, and its final provisions remain subject to change. The proposal has triggered substantial opposition from the German beverage industry, particularly breweries that increasingly rely on soft drinks as an additional source of revenue.
Meanwhile, according to information published by INSIDE Getrдnke on October 26, Paulaner is preparing another product innovation for March 2027. The planned Pauli range combines alcohol-free wheat beer with fruit-flavored soft drinks in three varieties: lemon, grapefruit and blood orange. The products are reportedly intended to contain 0.0% alcohol and will initially be offered exclusively in 0.33-liter cans. The new line is expected to adopt design elements reminiscent of the highly successful Paulaner Spezi brand, using its recognizable visual identity to facilitate consumer acceptance. Paulaner has not yet officially confirmed the Pauli launch.
The three initiatives represent complementary approaches to portfolio diversification. Bella Bavaria targets consumers of convenient alcoholic cocktails, Pauli is intended to strengthen the company's position in alcohol-free beer-based beverages, and Cola Zero expands its presence in the rapidly growing sugar-free soft drink segment. While the individual products address different consumer groups and drinking occasions, all three could benefit from Paulaner's existing distribution network, established retail relationships and experience in marketing canned beverages.
The strategy builds on the group's remarkable success with Paulaner Spezi, which has become one of Germany's most successful cola-orange mixed drinks. In October 2025, Paulaner secured international trademark rights for the brand through an agreement with Brauhaus Riegele, enabling expansion into additional European markets
The growing importance of soft drinks has already influenced Paulaner's production strategy. In August 2025, the group announced plans to more than double capacity at its Gotha brewery in Thuringia from 1.7 million to 3.5 million hectoliters annually. The investment includes additional filling and logistics facilities to accommodate rising demand, particularly for Spezi and other beverages.
Paulaner has also emerged as a potential buyer of Paderborner Brauerei in North RhineWestphalia. The brewery is being offered for sale by the Haus Cramer Group, owner of Warsteiner, as part of a restructuring that involves reducing the group's brewing capacity by approximately 30%.
According to WDR, representatives of Paulaner reportedly inspected the Paderborn facility in August 2026, although neither acquisition negotiations nor a binding offer have been officially confirmed. With an annual brewing capacity of around one million hectoliters and existing can-filling facilities, the site could provide Paulaner with additional production capacity to support its expanding beverage portfolio, potentially including its growing soft drink business. However, the transaction remains uncertain. On October 29, Haus Cramer confirmed that discussions with potential buyers were continuing and that a decision was expected within the coming weeks. If no buyer is found, the Paderborn facility is scheduled to close by the end of 2026. A takeover by Paulaner could therefore simultaneously help secure additional capacity and preserve more than 100 jobs at the threatened brewery.
02 November, 2026
