AUBI Introduces Modern Alcohol-Free Beer in East Germany

In 1972, brewmaster Ulrich Wappler and his colleagues at the state-owned VEB Engelhardt brewery in Berlin-Stralau developed AUBI, short for Autofahrerbier, or “motorist beer.” It is widely identified as the first alcohol-free beer produced in Germany. The product was intended not only for motorists in East Germany, where drivers were subject to a zero-alcohol rule, but also for workers in hot industrial environments such as steelworks and glassworks. The brewers limited alcohol formation rather than removing alcohol from a fully fermented beer. They designed a low-fermentability wort, allowed only part of it to begin fermenting, and restrained further fermentation through cooling. AUBI consequently remained at no more than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume. The brewery continued refining the initially imperfect beer, registered its production process with the East German patent authority in 1973, and later exported versions under names including Foxy Light and Berolina.